Trust and Betrayal
by Link-luvr
Summary: The stories of our lives are the stories of the people in them. Ours is a tale of trust and betrayal...and learning to trust again. Kraine. Rated M for mature content. Complete.
1. Prologue

A.N: Yes OK. It's been done before, but you know, this is _my _telling of it so...there. Up to you whether you read it. This is basically the entire story of Tales of Symphonia with the love interest between Kratos and Raine thrown in. As I said before, it's been done to death but re-writing stories with a bit of a twist is my speciality.

So, just to let you know, there is likely to be sex scenes, foul language and violence at later chapters. I will post warnings before each chapter. Anyone who's read one of my stories before may know that I like to have interaction with my readers, so don't forget to review. If you wanna see something in the story, tell me in advance, and I'll see if I can work it in according to the plot. Mention any other pairings you'd like to see and I'll see if I can again, write them in. Just remember this is a Kraine fic. I will also try to write in a little about the whole Kratos-Lloyd thing but...not a huge deal.

The fic is taken from the views of your first play through, coupled with the intimate thoughts of Raine and Kratos. That is, I won't give anything about the plot away because Raine doesn't know what's going on, but I will document her suspicions etc. and hint at Kratos role. Basically this is a novelisation of the story, but revolving around these two instead of Lloyd and Colette.

Lastly, if you don't like Kraine (which begs the question why are you here) please don't start telling me that the pairing would never happen. You can either a) read it and see how I write it and decide from there without giving me any abuse or b) leave without making a comment. I'm not forcing anyone to read this.

And now that all that is out the way, please enjoy the fic. The first chapter will be posted along with the prologue since this is especially short. Once again:

Enjoy

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Trust and Betrayal

Prologue

The warm glow of sunrise flittered across the land, warming the world as the sun lifted its head from its pillow of mountains.

This was a new day. A promise of new things, of changes that would shape the world.

Today was the day of prophecy.

On this day, the Chosen One would receive an oracle from the angels, a beacon of hope to the enslaved world of humans.

'_Once upon a time there was a great tree that was the source of mana…a war, however, caused this tree to wither away and a hero's life was sacrificed in order to take its place._

_Grieving over the loss, the Goddess disappeared unto the heavens._

_The goddess left the angels with this edict:' you must wake me, for if I should sleep the world shall be destroyed.'_

_The angels bore the chosen one, who climbed the tower that reached up unto the heavens…and that marked the beginning of the regeneration of the world.'_

The words played through his mind as he leapt into the air: The legend of the Goddess Martel and the hero, Mithos.

Such foolish nonsense.

Plumes of clouds whipped through dark hair as the seraph soared through an orange sky, the dew of clouds clinging to dark clothes as crystalline wings beat through chilled air, stirring thermal currents as he banked, heading for the west.

He angled his flight as he flew, adjusting his course to aim slightly north, slowing his pace when he realised the time of day.

The 'oracle' would not call on the Chosen for some hours yet…meaning that he had a few hours on his hands.

The seraph turned suddenly, heading south-west, swooping over the long dead Linkite tree and Triet desert, eyes scanning the vivid blue dome dubiously, wondering why the opposing force made their base so brazen when their nature was so secretive.

It didn't matter in the long run. They would never succeed in their goal…not as long as Lord Yggdrasill was in control.

He played over his task in his mind again, check-listing each stage of the journey he was about to undertake. He didn't need to do that of course…how many time had he done this task in the past years? Seven? No, six. This was to be the seventh…and that's just what the oracle would tell this new chosen.

He blinked suddenly, fluttering gossamer wings to avoid a ridiculously high sand-storm, a clear sign of this world's state of decline, focusing on that snippet of an idea, the fate of the world.

He had to keep a clear head when approaching the Chosen's home…it would not do to be overcome with memories and emotions at such a crucial time, even if it was reasonable for him to have an aversion to that place.

How could something that happened so many years ago still leave its mark on him? He was far too old, too wise for such things and yet…

He blinked, making a show of clearing his thoughts despite the lack of audience and flew higher, until he could survey the whole desert at a glance.

Once there, he hung in the air for a moment, placing the time before beating wings strongly, pushing through air as he made his way north.

To the village of the oracles.

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A.N: Yes very short, like I said, I'll post chapter 1 shortly. Whilst you're waiting, please, take the time to review...


	2. First Impressions

A.N: Chapter 1. The story begins.

Enjoy

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First Impressions

"Lloyd Irving, wake up!"

The voice was growing tight with impatience, weary of trying to rouse the slumbering student.

"Lloyd!"

Exasperation this time and the teacher snatched a chalk-eraser up, hurling it across the classroom to the amusement and horror of the seated students, the flying object soaring at the blisfully unaware teen.

It hit the snoozing boy in the face, causing brown eyes to snap open and dart confusedly through a cloud of chalk-dust, a startled cry emerging alongside.

The teacher strolled towards her student.

"How do you manage to sleep standing?"

"Oh…Professor Raine," soft eyes locked onto her, filling with recognition "…Is class over?" He asked tentatively, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to ease the soreness in them.

Sighing and shaking her head at the lost-cause she turned away, pacing towards the front of the class.

"Never mind. Let's have someone else answer the question," Light blue gaze cast about the room, settling on the small boy near the front of the class, his spiky white hair a mirror of her own.

"Genis, how about you?"

Genis stood up, sliding the wooden stool he was sitting on backwards.

"Yes, Raine."

Raine nodded approvingly, settling onto the podium at the front of the class as she watched Lloyd.

"Mithos, the hero, brought about the end of the Ancient War in the Holy Ground of Kharlan." Genis intoned, he had been asked the question a million times before. He sat back down as Raine nodded.

Lloyd zoned out again, his teacher's words falling on unwilling ears, only enticing him into answering when it came to the Desians, how they were sealed and he pointed out that they had now returned…and then he promptly dozed off again, his short attention span finding the subject boring, as always.

His eyes flickered open again a moment later upon hearing the light tone of Colette, the girl's voice floating over to him as she turned, giving him a sheepish smile as she sat back down from answering Professor Sage's question. He smiled back softly in return, preparing to doze off again when his teacher's voice started to command the attention of the rest of the class once more.

White light, blindingly bright and pure flashed through the window, fading away as quickly as it had appeared.

Heads turned in confusion, wonder…fear as Lloyd whispered softly to himself, eyes locked onto the window that the light had flashed through.

"Settle down," Raine hushed, looking out of the window, as distracted as her students "It seems that the time for the oracle has come. I'll go and check on the chapel, everyone stay here and study on your own," her eyes locked onto Lloyd "Understood?"

She turned, sprinting for the door without waiting for an answer, stopping only at the sound of the chosen's voice.

"Professor! I'll go with you!"

Raine turned back to face the blonde girl, stopping in the doorway.

"No, Colette. If it is the oracle, the priests will come here for you. Wait here with everyone else."

She turned and sprinted away again, hearing a faint, submissive 'Yes ma'am' as she ran for the wooden door of the school, throwing it open and taking a sharp left, running past the windows of the classroom.

Dashing through the wooden arch that led to the plains outside the village, she headed north for the temple. She needed to ensure that the temple was ready to receive Colette and…well…it wouldn't hurt to ask if she could nose around, now would it?

A wolf howled at her, lunging out from amongst a cluster of bushes and she dodged it gracefully, not having the time, skill or strength to fight it off alone, not to mention no weapon.

It was strange…she had never seen a wolf out in daylight in this region, nor one so bold as to leap at a person. But…rumours had been reaching the village, stories of travellers being attacked by monsters and Desians alike. The mana shortage was driving the world and all its inhabitants to desperate measures nowadays.

She panted as she ran, seeing the stone steps of the temple coming into view…meaning she would have to climb the hill to reach the stone dome. It was conspicuous today, a column of light emanating from deep within it, visible for potentially miles around. Huffing, she slowed her pace, using railings to support her as she pulled herself up the steps to the temple, approaching the pastors and priests that had gathered at the temple's entrance.

"Is…is it the oracle?"

The priests nodded, eyes straying to one another as an aged, blonde woman stepped out.

"It is. The prophecy has come true and the Chosen must meet the oracle."

"Very well, Phaidra. Colette is still at the school but…may I ask…."

"Yes, Professor Sage?"

"Would it be possible for me to…study the temple before the Chosen arrives? As a scholar I'd like to take this opportunity to learn about the place of prophecy."

Phaidra looked to the priests before nodding.

"If you insist, Ms. Sage, you are free to go in and study it for today. You are, of course, accompanying the chosen on her journey; it may serve you well to learn about the temple."

"Thank you."

Trying to keep the smile off her face at the thought of studying such an ancient building, she stepped into the darkness, into its depths before anyone could change their mind.

--

The sounds of swordplay drifted down to sensitive ears as the man headed for the temple, and he had to wonder what was going on.

Drawing his sword, he dashed up the steps, hoping that the sounds of battle weren't as serious as they seemed, hoping that the high girlish scream was one of surprise or fear…not pain.

A lumbering shadow fell onto the floor at his feet as he reached the top step, cast by a giant of a man wielding a ludicrously large mace and hammer. As if being potentially eight foot tall and just as wide wasn't a weapon enough.

Three children were crouched on the floor in front of him, a boy in red propped up by crudely carved wooden swords, looked up at the giant. The man grinned cruelly, hurling the swinging mace at the boy.

He leapt forwards, landing in front of the boy his blade flicking up to block the mace, sending it hurtling back towards the giant, knocking him to the floor.

A startled gasp erupted from one of the children behind him as the giant jumped to his feet again, staring angrily at the newcomer, followed by an almost churlish:

"Who _are _you?"

He turned, glancing down at the boy into brown eyes, before responding briskly:

"Get out of the way."

He ran at the man, ignoring the children until they joined him apparently deeming his judgement unsound.

The boy, clothed in red, dashed in front of him, swiping at the man with his wooden sticks in a barely refined manner before dashing away to throw a technique at him

…At least the boy knew _something _in that case.

The others, the girl and the white haired boy hung behind, the boy casting spells, the girl throwing bladed rings at the man.

Rolling his eyes at what was a potential imposition, he ducked away from the mace as it swung over his head and thrust the sword deep into the man's gut.

The giant gurgled, jerked away as he wrenched the sword free of him, letting him collapse into a lifeless heap on the floor. Flicking the blood off his sword, he turned to face the giant's commander who stood, stunned, watching. His dark eyebrows furrowed.

"I never thought you'd show up," he growled, shaking his head "Damn. Retreat for now.!"

The leader ran past him, his guards in tow, and he could practically see the children staring at him as he heard the girl whisper to her friends:

"Amazing…"

"This guy's incredibly strong." followed, no doubt the voice of the youngest member of the trio and the swordsman glanced around the area, searching for signs of further danger, ignoring the praise of the children.

"Y…yeah…I suppose so…"

The words from the older boy were hard, affronted by the idea that this stranger had just wandered in and put on such a show at the cost of the boy's pride. Sighing inwardly, he turned back to the children, eyes scanning the motley crew critically as they stood before him awkwardly, panting slightly from the exertion of the fight.

"Is everyone alright? Hm...No one seems to be hurt."

He slid his sword back into its scabbard, left hand resting on the hilt. Sunlight caught the blue gem on his hand, glinting against the rounded surface. The boy in red jerked in surprise.

"Is that an exsphere?"

The man tilted his head slightly as he regarded the boy, unwilling to answer as he observed an unsettling familiarity about him.

"How can I ever thank you for saving the chosen?"

It was an old woman addressing him, her voice cracked with age as she hobbled over to him, supported by a gnarled cane and he turned his attention to her.

"I see…so this girl is the next chosen."

"That's right!" The girl seemed to jerk back to reality "I have to go accept the oracle! Grandmother, I'm going to undergo the trial now."

"What trial?" Curiosity peaked in the older boy's voice.

"The monsters I assume. An evil presence radiates from inside this chapel." The dark clad man answered, regarding the boy out of the corner of his eye, trying to place him. There was something familiar about him…

"Yes, that is correct. The chosen is to receive judgement from heaven. But…the priests that were to accompany her fell at the hands of the Desians."

The older woman turned her gaze on him, almost beseeching.

"Then I'll take on the job of protecting Colette." The boy stated out of nowhere.

Such enthusiasm from this feebly armed youth, trying to make himself out to be a man. He would be trouble in the future…

"Lloyd?"

His ears pricked and burned at the name. Lloyd…from Iselia. Surely this youth wasn't …

"I would be uneasy with just you."

"Your name…is Lloyd?"

It was curiosity that prompted him to ask the question, he assured himself as the question tumbled from his lips, a confirmation that this was just some random boy who had nothing to do with himself. His name was merely coincidence…

"Yeah…" The answer was wary "But who are you to ask for my name?" He retorted suddenly, and he could practically see the boy puffing his chest up.

He lifted an eyebrow at the boy's brazen response.

"I am Kratos, a mercenary," he turned to the old woman "As long as you can pay me I'll accept the job of guarding the chosen."

"Under the circumstances…I have little choice. Please…be of service."

"It's a deal then."

The boy, Lloyd, rushed forwards.

"W...wait, I'm going too!"

Kratos turned on him instantly, taking the chance to put a stop to his childish dreams of aiding the chosen before it got out of hand.

"Lloyd, you'll only get in the way. Be a good boy and wait here."

Dark brows lowered instantly at the condescending words and tone.

"What did you say?!"

Kratos allowed his irritation at the boy's lack of respect for his order to creep into his voice.

"Did I not make myself clear? You're a burden, go home."

The words were harsh, perhaps too harsh for the situation…but the sooner he stopped clinging to this girl, the better and easier it would be for everyone involved in the world regeneration. Less heartache when the time came. Less hassle along the way.

"Um…" It was the Chosen whose voice was calling his attention, but he stared at Lloyd, meeting his angry gaze easily with his own.

"Mr. Kratos…" she was tentative, shy…and he knew exactly what she was about to say. "Would it be ok to take Lloyd along too?"

He turned to her, primed with an excuse…

"But…"

"Please. I get nervous when Lloyd's not around." She interjected quickly, hands clasped and wide blue eyes staring up to meet his own sanguine gaze.

"…Do as you wish." He answered at length, turning away, his tone making it clear that it something happened to her friend, he was not to be held responsible. After all, he tried to stop them. The girl, Colette, trotted up to his side, staying close to him as her grandmother watched them enter the temple.

Distantly, he heard Lloyd and his friend, Genis, arguing over entering the temple, the younger boy reluctant to do so.

"This isn't a field trip, you know." He reminded them, walking into the cool depths of the chapel, his new band of followers stumbling behind him like lost puppies.

If they somehow managed to accompany them all the way on the whole journey, it was going to make it a very long, wearisome task.

--

Raine looked at the moist sandstone walls of the temple with a glee that wasn't far from orgasmic intensity, her eyes scanning nearly every crack in the walls, every inscription on stone pillars. Hands ran over rough, grainy surfaces, grains of rock falling away at each touch as she leant forwards to read an inscription on the wall, finger tracing the ancient angelic writing.

She jerked away when she thought she heard a voice, deep and male resounding around the temple… a stranger as far as she was concerned, for his voice didn't seem familiar at all.

She remembered that shortly after entering this collapsed corridor where she stood now, she had thought she'd heard the voice before…though…it may just have been the groan of the temple.

Or it might be one of the priests that were guiding Colette to the oracle.

Raine sighed.

That poor girl, destined to be sacrificed for a world that, in all honesty, probably didn't deserve it. People; humans and half-elves alike, were greedy, selfish and destructive by nature and it didn't seem logical that such an innocent person should have to die to save them,

Not that they understood that she would die of course…the majority of people believed that Colette would become an angel and ascend to heaven to meet the Goddess Martel. The reality…was far less pleasant.

Turning her head towards the entrance corridor, she crept forwards, picking up the jewelled sword that she had found in the rubble. Admittedly she shouldn't be taking it but…she was sure the priests wouldn't notice with that tunnel being in the state it was, so there was no harm really…

She stopped at the end of the corridor, placing the item on the floor and stepping out into the main room of the temple to meet the stranger head on... and becoming distracted by the architecture of the room.

She had entered the deepest room straight away and not had a chance to study this room yet, but upon seeing it in more detail she let out a rather too loud:

"Marvellous!"

"..Professor?"

She turned at Lloyd's voice, finding him and Genis standing behind her.

"What? What are you two doing here?! You're supposed to be studying in class!"

The boys jerked back, looking panicked, Lloyd whimpering a quiet "uh-oh"…and with good reason as Raine rushed over to her little brother.

"Raine…I…I'm sorry!" He tried desperately, receiving a disapproving shake of the head before being hoisted unceremoniously under one arm, his backside high in the air as he wriggled in her grip. Lloyd jerked back as Raine spanked Genis repeatedly before dropping him to the floor, leaving him bent on all fours, whimpering over his sore backside.

Raine herself turned slowly to face the teenage boy, an unnerving glint in her eye.

"…You're next Lloyd. Are you ready?"

"Wha? Hey…no. Stop!"

He waved his hands frantically as if trying to ward her off as the petite woman marched over, giving him a firm kick to the chest that sent him slamming into the wall behind him.

Raine winced as she saw grains of sand fall from the wall, damaging the precious ruin…

"Now, you two, if you've learned your lesson, go back home. There will be no class for the rest of the day."

Genis looked up from his position on the floor

"What about you?"

"I've received permission from Phaidra to study this temple a little while longer. It's not often that ordinary citizens have the opportunity to enter this place."

The younger of the Sages nodded, climbing to his feet as Raine promptly turned on her heel and left the lobby of the temple, heading back into the corridor which she had been studying before being so rudely interrupted.

She wondered idly why Genis and Lloyd were in the chapel at all, figuring that they must have followed Colette and that she herself had already left…but…that didn't explain the unfamiliar voice she had heard. It couldn't have been Lloyd or Genis. Too deep for both of them, especially considering Genis' voice hadn't even broken yet and besides, she recognised both of the boy's voices. It had sounded too…strong, too young for one of the priests …most of them were elderly, their voices cracked and dry with age. Wavering.

Shaking her head, she put the thought to the back of her mind so she could occupy herself with a more pressing issue. Like studying the temple.

And she had it all to herself.

Standing alone in the corridor, she picked up the sword she had found and clutched it, tilting back her head and letting out a maniacal laugh at the thought.

--

"Then…we shall entrust the protection of the Chosen to Kratos and Raine."

The mayor of Iselia thudded his hand against the table top as if having decided some life changing rule and as Kratos eyes the man surreptitiously, he decided he didn't like him already. He seemed untrustworthy and irresponsible. Especially with his assumption that Kratos would put up with this 'Raine' person, despite the fact that he had never met her.

But…he said nothing about it. It was clear that they wanted her to go with the Chosen and arguing would likely only get him fired, so he merely agreed quietly.

"I have no objections."

Dark eyes slid over to the right side of the room where the two boys who had just entered stood awkwardly under the adults' gazes. He gave them no sign of acknowledgement, merely mulled over the events to come in his mind. No doubt that they would both want to come on the journey and once again, he must try to discourage them.

The Chosen and her grandmother were speaking with the boys, thanking them for their earlier 'assistance'. 'Getting in the way' would be a more accurate description but…Kratos had already made his thoughts on that quite clear.

"Say…" Lloyd started in a not-so-subtle conversational tone, glancing around the room, and Kratos would have bet a million gald that he could predict the exact words that Lloyd was about to say. "Were you talking about the world regeneration journey just now?"

One million gald to a Mr. Aurion.

"Yes." Phaidra stated, her tone somewhat reluctant. Not that Lloyd needed a confirmation.

"Wow!" So excited. _Too_ excited. "I wanna go too. I wanna see Colette regenerate the world!"

"If Raine is going, I want to go too." Genis stated, small fists clenched in determination. Perhaps he was some relation of this 'Raine' given his reaction.

Head bent slightly, eyes closed; Kratos chose his words carefully, hoping they would have the effect he intended.

"No. You'll get in the way."

"W…what!?"

He jolted to his feet, chair skittering backwards with the speed and force of the motion, the other adults flinching.

"The battles at the chapel were nothing compared to the journey that awaits us. _Children_ need to stay home."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lloyd's face contort into an expression of outrage and indignation, his brow lowering further when the mayor backed the mercenary up.

Of course he'd take his side. Not only was Kratos an adult, and _male _but he exuded authority…and the mayor had no backbone when it came to other adults. He would cower and fall to everyone else's will.Gods, he hated people that spineless. He had met plenty in his lifetime.

Lloyd and Genis turned on their heel, leaving the house none too quietly, the chosen scurrying after them a moment later, no doubt to make amends.

Perhaps he had been too harsh on them. They were, after all, only children and excited at the prospect of their friend being so important. It was natural for them to take such a keen interest but…what he had said was the truth. Neither of them was particularly skilled at fighting, nor prepared for life outside a small village nevermind a worldwide journey and it was likely that they'd end up getting hurt in more ways than one.

Yes, he had done the right thing but…that boy, Lloyd. He…intrigued him and that in itself was rare. If his suspicions were true…

He'd likely never get to find that out though, lest they meet with him again later for some reason and Kratos didn't intend to do that.

Pulling his attention back to the situation that required it, he focused in on the mayor's dreary prattling tone, wondering how long it would be before they could get started on the journey.

--

"If Raine has finished studying the chapel, you will find that she has returned to the school. Arrangements have been made with her before, so you merely need to inform her that you'll be accompanying her and Colette." Phaidra informed Kratos as the mayor left the small house, having finished his two hour long drone.

"I see." He stood, towering over the tiny woman. "In that case, I shall go and acquaint myself with her."

"Oh…Mr. Kratos…" he turned to the younger blonde "Can I come too?"

Still so quiet and shy, intimidated to an almost alarming degree by his mere presence. He would have to work to get her to trust him.

"If you so wish, I see no reason why not."

"Thank you. See you later, grandmother."

The elderly woman inclined her head as the Chosen stepped outside, Kratos following her. Once outside, the girl fell easily into place beside him.

"The school is just up there," she pointed up the beaten lane to a wooden building "you…probably passed it when you came in."

He nodded idly "Yes. I did."

The girl smiled cheerfully before falling silent, clearly uneasy around the stoic mercenary. How did one interact with someone who didn't speak?

The school, Kratos noted as he approached, was small but then…the community was rather small and there were few children running around the village. The classes had long since ended, given that the teacher had been out for most of the day and only two children stood outside the school, in what was clearly a recreational area for them. Colette smiled at them, leading the way into the school as Kratos followed at a leisurely pace.

"Professor Sage," the chosen was saying as Kratos entered the small classroom, an eyebrow lifting at the Colette-shaped hole in the wall.

A woman in an orange dress coat was standing at the board, wiping chalk off it and she turned at the voice.

"Ah, Colette…"

She was a small woman, Kratos noted, nearly a full foot shorter than him and young, barely in her twenties judging by her appearance and he had to wonder why she had been chosen to accompany Colette.

Sharp blue eyes flicked up to his face briefly, her facial expression informing him that she was just as puzzled by his presence as he was of her purpose on the journey. She turned back to her board, rubbing away the chalk.

"And…you are?" her voice was light but strong, more confident that her meagre number of years would usually allow, but she held herself with an inner strength and pride that showed in her movements.

"Kratos Aurion, a mercenary. I am to accompany you and Colette on your journey as…extra protection."

"I see. By who's appointment?"

Her almost challenging tone made him wonder who she thought she was to combat him.

"A combination of Phaidra and the mayor. They thought that since neither of you carry a sword, my presence would be beneficial."

"Ah," She placed the chalk eraser on the teaching podium. "I assume you're accompanying us for the entire journey?"

"I am."

"Well then, I suppose an introduction would be in order." She turned to face him fully, eyes scanning his form as if she were trying to read him like a book, something she would no doubt find difficult.

"Professor Raine Sage."

"So I gathered."

She flicked a strand of silver hair from her face, pulling the sweep of hair away from her face momentarily, revealing her whole face.

She was pale, her features strong but delicate, eyes piercingly blue…and her look was far more mature than her age. Quite a beautiful young woman by all accounts.

"So, Mr. Aurion," she began, conversationally, dipping a cloth into the pail of water by the front wall as he stepped up to lean on the podium.

Colette watched from a distance, forgotten by the two adults.

"What brings you to this village?"

"Work."

"Then you were quite lucky that today is the day of prophecy otherwise your journey here would be in vain."

"It would seem so."

Raine turned to face the man once again, eyeing him as she finished cleaning the chalkboard, wringing water out of the cloth.

He was tall, almost remarkably so in this day and age. Men rarely reached five foot and ten inches so to meet someone who was over 6 foot was a rare experience. But as she studied him, it seemed he was quite an unusual specimen in every sense.

He was muscular, but slim a contrast to the typically weedy or rather stout men that wandered about the village. His skin barely a shade darker than hers, but his hair a deep, rich dark auburn provided another contrast about him and well trained eyes of the exact same shade studied her just as intently.

Raine opened her mouth with the intention of making a comment when a somewhat harried looking Genis strolled into the classroom, his casual movements undermined by his facial expression.

He seemed startled at the presence of Kratos.

"H..hey Raine…Colette," blue eyes the exact same shade as Raine's flicked to the mercenary and he mumbled "..Kratos."

"Genis?" Raine turned her attention to her younger brother as Colette waved to him "Is something wrong?"

"Wha? N…No, everything's fine I've just been…playing in the forest with Lloyd…"

"Not near the ranch I hope." He shook his head vigorously.

"Professor Sage? I wanted to go and see Lloyd before we leave tomorrow…to say goodbye, you know?"

Colette stepped forwards meekly, hands clasped in front of her as if she were praying.

"Yes…I think perhaps it would be a good idea if we see Lloyd before we leave. I'm sure he's disappointed that he's not allowed to come with us."

"It is for the best." Kratos stated, suddenly, head turned towards the door of the classroom.

"Perhaps so…but that doesn't make it any easier for him." Raine stated at the mercenary's blunt response and leaving the classroom. Genis and Colette followed closely and she was surprised to find that Kratos, too, followed her.

She found it odd that he should have such interest in Lloyd but she said nothing. Unless Kratos started causing trouble, there was no reason to.

Silently, she headed out into the village, her entourage trailing behind. Genis and Colette were discussing something…her birthday present from Lloyd perhaps, whilst the mercenary took up the rear, stoically silent, his presence making her uncomfortable. She would rather not have strange men that she didn't have any trust in walking out of her range of sight.

Sighing inwardly Raine looked up at the sky as she walked, watching it turn from blue to pink as night began to draw in. By the time they would reach Lloyd's house, night would have fallen fully.

Genis and Colette sprinted past her suddenly, beyond the arch that marked the entrance to the village and she quickened her pace in order to keep them in sight as they turned and headed for the north-eastern forest.

Flora grew denser as they entered the forest, the ground turning uneven and loose as they headed uphill, taking the winding path that lead around the cliffs. Great trees towered above them, leaving only strips of the now orange sky visible, staining the evening landscape a rich terracotta.

Raine inhaled, taking in the crisp mountain air, watching Colette and Genis as they chatted casually. She turned her head sharply a moment later at the sound of a boot scuffing ground, and she found herself looking at Kratos, walking parallel to her.

She had almost forgotten he was there. Almost.

There was something about him that made her uneasy. It wasn't just the unfamiliarity…that she could deal with that easily enough and it may just have been his stoic demeanour but…she had a feeling that there was more to him that met the eye. A man of his stature, his presumed skill and supposed intelligence should be in a higher position than a simple, travelling mercenary…

Garnet eyes flicked to meet hers, holding her gaze steadily for a minute…and those eyes were oddly familiar… a shade darker maybe, narrowed by maturity but still so familiar.

And she couldn't place them.

He pulled his gaze away after a moment, staring straight ahead as he walked silently beside her.

Raine looked up to a darkening sky, noting how Genis took a wide berth around the entrance to the Desian's human ranch, her thoughts preoccupied with the presence of the mercenary as they made their way to Lloyd's house.

* * *

A.N: So there you are, chapter 1, the story begins. Or has begun. I'd like to get to know people's opinions as early as possible so that I can tailor the story to make it more enjoyable for you as a reader, so please review.


	3. Changes

A.N: Thank you for the reviews, they're appreciated as I'm sure I said personally to you if you did review. Chapter 2 here now, bit shorter than the previous chapter but hopefully you'll like it.

Enjoy!

* * *

Changes 

The sky was a deep velvet blue as Lloyd burst out of the door of his house, shoulder smarting where his dad had punched him and he stumbled over hard packed dirt, before straightening, catching movements in the corner of his eye.

He turned, looking at his audience.

Colette stood near the front of the group of four, head tilted quizzically whilst Genis and Raine averted their eyes, knowing what had just gone on inside.

Kratos stood at the back, an eyebrow raised a millimetre as the vaguest inkling of any form of emotion, his expression otherwise blank. Whatever he thought about the situation, he was going to keep it to himself.

'_Probably agrees with him…' _Lloyd thought sourly, raising his hand to rub nervously at the back of his head.

"Oh…let me guess…you heard that just now?"

A quiet nod from all except Kratos and then Colette was stepping forwards asking him if she could speak with him.

Inclined as he was to listen to the girl there was something that was bugging him…

"In a minute, k?"

"Sure, I'll wait for you over on the bench."

He nodded, watching as the group dispersed, Raine remaining by the bridge across the stream, Genis wandering over to Noishe…

And Lloyd couldn't fail to miss how Kratos made for his mother's grave. He followed, noting that Raine was watching the mercenary intently.

Kratos stood in front of the headstone, looking at the flowers that surrounded a stone-cobbled grave, his head bowed in respect.

Now he knew why the boy seemed so familiar, why the name had startled him, why he intrigued him... Footsteps trudged behind him and he shifted, an expression of respectful remorse onto his face. Though why he cared what Lloyd thought…he wasn't sure. They wouldn't be around each other long anyway.

In the distance, Noishe gave a low whine to the boy petting him, and his eyes flicked shut, the noise eliciting a disturbing memory.

Lloyd was standing beside him, clearly wanting to speak…and for just this once, Kratos would indulge him. It would do no harm.

The teacher's eyes stared hard into his back as he turned to face her student.

"Whose gravestone is this?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Ah…you heard right? It's my mom's." Grief hung heavy in the boy's voice even now, though he was far too young to actually remember his mother properly.

"Anna, hmm?" he stopped, looking the boy directly in the eye "…Is your father alive?"

Why…was he asking this?

"…I don't know." Lloyd looked to the grave "But Dirk is my dad."

Kratos felt his heart constrict.

"…Yes." He murmured eventually "That was a careless thing to ask. I'm sorry."

Lloyd shook his head. "No it's ok. You didn't know.."

Kratos nodded, turning his gaze back to the grave.

"I think…I should go speak with Colette."

"Indeed."

With a final nod, Lloyd excused himself, wandering away to speak with Colette. He listened quietly as they spoke on the terrace, pulling his attention away from their conversation when it became too personal for his liking. He turned away, wandering over to Raine and her brother, giving the grave another look before staring pointedly at the green and white 'dog' in his 'stable'.

"That's Noishe. Lloyd swears he's a dog but…I'm not so sure…" Genis stated, clearly trying to make some sort of conversation before an uncomfortable silence set in.

"I'm inclined to agree."

"No idea what he actually _is _though."

Kratos shrugged broad shoulders nonchalantly, dark eyes flicking up to the sky to lock onto a full moon momentarily.

"It's getting late." He stated, and Raine nodded.

"Yes. We had better fetch Colette."

"Yeah, otherwise she and Lloyd will spend all night talking." Genis rolled his eyes, heading for the door to Lloyd's house, his older sister following.

She stopped and turned when she realised Kratos hadn't followed. "Are you not coming?"

"I don't see a need for me to, I'll wait here. Besides, my presence will be somewhat…unappreciated, I feel."

"If that's what you want." She turned away without further comment and entered the house, appearing on the balcony with the teenagers a second later and Kratos took the opportunity to give Noishe an acknowledging nod, the smallest smile gracing his lips as the animal leaned forwards, ears flicking as if waving to him.

The door to the house opened again, warm light spilling out into the dirt yard and the neutral expression was back on his face within seconds as he took a few steps back. The siblings and Colette filed out of the house slowly, turning and waving to Lloyd who was standing on the terrace and he waved back enthusiastically.

Letting out a quiet sigh, he waited until Raine had drawn level with him to turn and walk away without giving Lloyd any sign of further acknowledgement. What would it matter anyway?

This would be the last time they would ever see each other as Kratos headed into the darkness of the forest.

--

He sat high on the cliffs surrounding the village, watching as dawn slowly broke, spilling amber light over the tiny settlement.

The journey of world regeneration would begin today…the true beginning of change…

Kratos breathed in the crisp air deeply, thinking about the events that would transpire…and those that had already transpired. Mainly, his meeting with Lloyd. It was that boy who had plagued his thoughts all night and though he knew it was improper behaviour, he hadn't been able to resist returning to the house, paying his final, uninterrupted respects to the grave.

He shook his head vigorously. He must not let him cloud his judgement.

Climbing to his feet, the mercenary stretched the cramped muscles of his back, letting his left hand fall to its customary place, grasping the sheath of his sword before beginning his slow descent to the village of Iselia.

--

Raine turned, a sorrowful smile lingering on her lips as the villagers gathered about herself, Colette and Kratos, saying goodbyes and wishing good luck as the trio prepared to move out.

Colette stood amongst a throng of people, smiling brightly, telling everyone in her cheerful way that they weren't to worry, she would regenerate the world, no matter what. And it was those three words that stung the most _'…no matter what…'_

Scanning the crowd, the professor located Genis, standing awkwardly out at the side of the gathered mass, his expression one of misery and simmering anger. Raine approached him quietly, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you sure I can't come?" Genis asked, staring up her pleadingly and she slowly shook her head, denying her brother. They had been through this too many times…and he knew the risks already…

"It's dangerous Genis, you know that. Stay here and keep an eye on Lloyd."

The younger sibling snorted "Pretty hard to keep an eye on him when he doesn't even to turn up to see Colette and you off."

"Perhaps he knows that it would be too painful for both of them. Besides…it may be for the best."

"You mean…he'd get all moody about not being allowed to go and probably end up making a huge scene out of it?"

Raine nodded again, smiling vaguely at her brother's blunt appraisal of his friend.

"I think _he'd_ see to it that Lloyd doesn't go anyway."

Genis gestured to the mercenary who was staring at the gate, his tense body language exuding impatience and his eyes flicked over to Genis the second he heard himself being mentioned. The younger Sage averted his gaze quickly and Raine frowned.

"Yes…you're probably right about that."

She straightened slowly, looking up at the sky, noting the position of the sun before turning to look at Kratos. He nodded and flinched his head towards the gate With a half-sigh, Raine gave Genis a final smile, bending down to whisper a goodbye to him before pulling away and making her way to Colette.

"It's time to go."

The blonde nodded enthusiastically "Ok."

She wandered over to Kratos, announcing their departure, waving to the villagers as she walked backwards, Raine guiding her as the mercenary headed out in front of them.

It was going to be a long journey. She wasn't sure how long…perhaps only a few months…perhaps longer. The only thing she was sure of as they set out, was that the end was going to be harder than any other point of the journey. Once they reached the tower of salvation, it would all be over. She sighed inwardly, shifting the pack on her shoulder, a book under her arm as she walked, Colette falling into place beside her. Kratos walked ahead, body language similar to that of a predator.

Raine found it odd that he was on edge so early. They had barely left the village and it was highly unlikely that they would be attacked at this point. She had to remind herself that this man was one who spent every day being attacked and looking into everything for signs of danger, not only for himself, but for his charges too. He had every right to be paranoid.

But still…barely out of the village.

She noted that he was constantly looking up to the sky, that he would scan the entire area whilst walking every few metres, that his left hand never left the sheath of his sword. Clearly he was experienced with being 'out in the field' as it were but the knowledge didn't make her feel any safer. She had barely met this man…how did she know that she could trust him with her and Colette's lives?

Brushing an overhanging branch out of the way as she walked, she tried to brush the thought away as easily. Dwelling on issues of trust when they had no alternative was not the best of ideas. She would just have to keep an eye on him…

--

The woman's gaze was piercing into his back again, her sharp, untrusting eyes all but burning holes into his shoulder blades.

He had sensed her unease with his presence since they had left the safety of the village, the knowledge that it really was just the three of them now setting in perhaps. Or maybe it was the fact that she and the Chosen were now almost completely dependent on his abilities to protect them.

Either way, if she was going to be this distrustful, it would prove to be a problem…he needed their full co-operation. With her keep such a vigilant eye on him, he would have to be very careful what he did or said. She was a shrewd one, this Raine Sage, if nothing else.

Of course he had to admit that he was very slightly impressed that the woman had the sense to be wary of him and his motives. Most people from such a small village were stupidly trusting…the mayor had proved that by assigning him the job of protecting the chosen so easily.

At least the elderly woman, Phaidra, had only trusted him because it was necessary at the time.

Kratos rolled his shoulders slightly as he walked, listening out for human...or indeed half-elven voices carried on the wind, relaxing a tad when there were none. There was no danger for the moment and that would at least give him some time to make a plan for the days ahead.

Behind him, Colette snuffled, blossom from over hanging trees tickling her face and he turned his head to watch as she smiled girlishly at the flowers, a finger tracing the petals delicately.

Still such a little girl.

He pulled his head away after a moment, looking to the trail ahead as it sloped up a hill, cutting off sharply at the horizon. Once they had reached the summit it may be an apt time to let the women take a break. He had the feeling they were not used to walking such distances and he slowed his walk to a more accommodating pace for them as he started up the hill.

"We'll take a break once we reach the top of this hill," he informed them, throwing the words over his shoulder without turning his head. The tense silence shattered beneath his voice. "We can make plans for the rest of today's travel whilst we are there."

"How far do you expect we can travel by the end of the day?" Raine asked, huffing slightly as the incline became steeper.

"That depends largely on how far you want to travel and how willing you are to push yourselves."

The 'elf' let out something similar to a snort.

"Are you implying that I'll go easy on myself merely because I'm a woman?"

"No. And I'm not sure how you drew that conclusion from what I said either, Ms. Sage. What I mean to say is that it would be wise for you to make your limits known. It wouldn't be wise to force yourself to reach a target if it is not within your grasp without straining for it."

"You mean 'don't over exert yourself'?"

"I suppose so."

He stepped over a rock, throwing a glance to the woman now walking beside him before looking back for the chosen.

She was making her way steadily up the slope, showing signs of tiring and he made a note of how far she could be pushed at this stage.

"We've covered quite a distance already." Raine commented as she stopped, waiting for Colette to catch up.

"Yes. If we can continue this pace then we may reach the outskirts of the Triet desert within a few days."

Colette panted as she drew level with Raine.

"That's where the first seal is, isn't it professor?"

"It's likely."

Kratos turned away, returning his attention to the surrounding area as they continued to ascend the steep hill stopping dead once he had reached the top, taking in the scenery.

Green plains stretched out before them for miles, a faint biscuit coloured path winding through the land like a snake. A small, brown building stood far in the distance, invisible to the naked human eye at this distance but beyond that little building, green washed into gold. Dark chasms rose up around that golden ocean, enclosing the perilous area as sandstorms blew over it, a whirlwind of grain being whipped over sand-ridge surfaces.

"Is that…the Triet desert?" Colette asked, pulling up alongside the mercenary and he nodded distractedly as he looked out over the world. "It's so pretty."

"From here yes. It's far less pleasant once you're walking through it."

He turned and sat on a nearby boulder abruptly, watching Raine as she sat opposite on him, laying her pack down on the ground, her staff next to it.

Colette plopped down onto the floor cheerfully, still gazing out over the plains ahead.

"So how far do you think we should travel by the end of the day?" Raine asked, pulling out a water canteen and drinking sparingly from it.

"Given that we've covered perhaps fifteen miles or so in the time we've been walking, I don't think it would be unreasonable to expect the same again after we've eaten."

"So we're just going to continue walking until…."

"Nightfall. It would be too dangerous to walk in the dark."

"We'll be camping then."

Kratos nodded as Raine pulled a sandwich from her pack.

They two young women ate in near silence whilst Kratos looked out over the surrounding area again until they were ready to move. Once they were finished he nodded and rose, heading off down the gentle slope of the hill's south side, the girls in tow, wondering about the events of the rest of the day.

--

The sky was turning a rich orange as the trio pulled into a secluded, wooded area, hidden from the main dirt track.

Kratos quickly scanned the natural clearing among the woods, ushering the females in once he deemed it to be safe, gathering dry wood as he did.

Within minutes, a small fire was burning quietly in the centre of the clearing and the three travellers had settled down beside it, taking in its warmth eagerly as the closing night stole heat from the air.

Colette's head was drooping with fatigue after just a few minutes of sitting down and Raine watched her quietly as Kratos prepared a meal over the camp fire.

She had to prod the girl awake by the time the meal was cooked and Kratos silently handed her a bowl of cooling stew before excusing himself to sit in a quiet, dark area of the grove to 'keep watch'. Raine rolled her eyes at the mercenary and his rather anti-social behaviour and lay back beneath a thin blanket watching the stars as she fell asleep.

In the darkened area of the grove, where the firelight had somehow managed to miss permeating, Kratos sat eyeing the teacher as she lost consciousness.

He had seen her response to his behaviour…and whether she was an aid to the chosen or not, he wouldn't stand for dissension in his ranks.

* * *

A.N: You may have noticed that I'm missing some of the conversations from the game out. I would attempt to put them in but they take up a lot of time and space to write and don't necessarily contribite much to any of the relationships so...that's why they're not here.

As always, comments and questions are welcome. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Now please push my button.


	4. Only colleagues

A.N: Thanks for reviews. Apologies for the inconsistancies in chapter length.

Enjoy.

* * *

Only colleagues

Dawn came swiftly, too swiftly as far as Raine was concerned as she packed up the equipment from the night before, hefted it onto her back and followed the awaiting Kratos and Colette out of the secluded grove.

The day's travel was to be much the same as the previous – endless fields of green staggering past as white clouds drifted over a pure blue sky. Occasionally, they'd head up a hill…and then down again…and then maybe the landscape would be flat for a while. Sometimes the road became hard rock, sometimes soft, loose soil, sometimes cracked, dried mud. At one point, a disturbingly large and aggressive rabbit leapt from the bushes, a wolf by its side and…to the traveller's bemusement, the lagomorph attempted to attack them. It failed when its ally, the wolf, turned, clamped its jaws around its neck and ran away with it, presumably to make the rabbit its lunch.

Other than this the travelling remained the same despite the changing landscape and Raine soon found herself trying to start a conversation with Colette.

Raine was not, by nature, a particularly sociable person. She was quite content to keep her own company most of the time…but it had been at least a few days since she'd had any form of real conversation and even longer since it was actually intelligent and stimulating. As much as Colette had a good heart and was sweet, she wasn't the most interesting of people most of the time…most of her conversations tended to involve puppies.

So the fact that she was actively trying to start the conversation was a sign of her state of mind. Unfortunately, Colette was rather tired still from the days of hard travelling, combined with rather short, uncomfortable slumber. As such, her responses to Raine's questions were short, if said in a polite, chipper tone.

The professor dropped the attempt after about an hour before she finally lapsed into silence. She chanced a look at Kratos, who was staring dead ahead as he walked in front of them, and she quickly tossed the idea aside.

Apart from a few clipped words here and there, which were usually orders, he had barely spoken to either her or Colette and she was starting to wonder if he was capable of holding a conversation. He seemed to be almost mute.

Shaking her head in what had to be disappointment or boredom, she trudged behind Kratos and Colette listlessly, wishing the days would go by faster…

--

Another day passed hopelessly slowly, with no event, few words and even fewer breaks as they trekked across the countryside, aiming for the desert.

Kratos was once again in the lead when he suddenly stopped, glanced around the area before continuing as if nothing had happened.

Raine frowned. He had done this repeatedly over the past few days, stopping, looking everywhere and frowning before moving off again with no explanation.

"Is there a problem?"

She asked after the moment and Kratos stopped, turning to look at her. Colette took the welcome opportunity to rest.

"….no." he stated simply after some length.

"Then why do you keep doing that?"

"I'm merely checking that we are not being followed."

"I take it we're not then?"

"No. Or at least, not closely enough for whomever it is to be a threat."

He turned away and Colette clambered to her feet almost grudgingly.

The silent trek began once again until the vague outline of a building came into view. Colette recognised it instantly as the house of salvation, becoming very excited at the prospect of a decent meal and a place to rest on a real bed.

Raine too felt her spirits lift slightly in expectation of the thought of what was, compared to this trek, luxurious treatment.

The mercenary however made no sign of having seen the building.

Within a few hours they were at the doorstep of the resting place and Raine and Colette stopped gratefully by the door, Raine preparing to go inside.

"We're not stopping here."

She turned and looked to the man, leaning on the fence post.

"Excuse me?"

"We're not resting here tonight."

"By whose authority and judgement?"

"Mine."

"And so you're the only person in this party? Strange, I thought Colette and I were part of it too."

He harrumphed a little at her sarcasm.

"Mr. Kratos, why can't we stop here?" Colette asked, looking up at him hopefully with large eyes.

"It's far too obvious a place to stop…it would be unwise for your safety."

"How so?" Raine asked, stepping forwards.

"The chosen is potentially the most famous person in Sylvarant and there are always assassins, otherwise, I would not have been hired to protect her."

"I know all that. The point I was going to make is no one actually knows what Colette look likes apart from us. So who'll know? Besides, there are so many people here that we won't be noticed."

"Do you honestly think large amounts of people are travelling in this region with the world in its current state?"

"People feel the need to go on pilgrimages in times of trouble."

"Not in this region."

Raine pursed her lips in annoyance. She had managed to get him to talk, finally, but apparently that was not an entirely good thing.

"Look…Mr. Aurion, as much as I appreciate that you have experience in this area, I think it would be in our best interests to rest here tonight. Colette and I are not used to traversing these distances and are tired. If we rest here today we can cover more ground tomorrow."

"If you honestly think that it will help then…I suppose we can rest here. But…just remember that I suggested we keep moving."

"I'll bear that in mind."

Colette stumbled after Raine as she headed into the building. Kratos followed at a distance, keeping an eye on the two females.

The professor, as they called her, had a lot of gall, which may prove useful in some situations, but he was fairly sure her stubborn attitude would not. It was certainly not helping his opinion of her as they entered the travellers stop.

--

Despite Kratos' previous words the house was, in fact, very busy to such an extent that the three of them were bundled into one small room with only a single bed. Both adults elected that Colette take it and within moments of the girl settling on the mattress, she was asleep.

Raine cast a watchful eye over her, before pulling the blankets over her shoulders and then re-settling herself into her own spread of blankets in an armchair.

Kratos gave her half-a-glance from his position on the floor, his own single, thin blanket draped across his knees as he leant back against the wall, resting his head back against it and listening intently.

The breathing of all those at the inn deep in slumber, was the only sound….except for Raine's breathing, informing him that she was still awake.

"I thought you wanted to come here to rest." Kratos stated, turning a sharp gaze on Raine. He was not one to offer these sorts of thoughts often and the fact that he was doing so to someone who was almost a complete stranger threw him a bit.

He wasn't quite sure why he was doing it. Raine was…disagreeable, or at least, she was with him. She was stubborn and at the moment, seemed to be trying to undermine his authority which he did not appreciate in the slightest. She was intelligent of course but so far, that wasn't exactly endearing him to her…more irritating at the way this girl was wielding that sharp intelligence.

"I did, hence the reason I'm here. But I'm…mulling over the days events."

"You call walking several miles without incident 'events'?"

She lifted a silver eyebrow.

"I was actually referring to our….discussion earlier."

"I see."

"You seem to…shall I say…resent my presence…"

He shook his head.

"I resent having my judgement undermined by someone who is inexperienced in the field."

"Ah…you're used to getting your own way."

He turned his head to her sharply, glaring. "Don't presume that I am some child that throws a tantrum when he is denied something. I spoke out of a professional judgement and I don't appreciate you making the chosen perceive me as weak when it is my job to protect her."

"You only seemed weak…if that's the term you want to use, because you gave in…which is the point I'd like to ask about…"

"Oh?"

"Why did you let me have my way?"

He reclined against the wall again.

"Because creating tensions between us will not help in the journey ahead and…"

"And?"

"You made a viable, logical argument."

She didn't say anything in response, only considered his point.

Eventually, Kratos leant forwards and cleared his throat: "I think…that if we are going to be in each other's company for some time, then it would be in our best interests to come to an agreement."

"That would seem logical."

"I merely ask that you respect and defer to my judgement when it comes to our survival…"

"That would seem fair but….in return…"

He tilted his head questioningly.

"I want recognition and an equal say in all other events, as well as you deferring to me on matters of the chosen and the seals etc."

"I never saw you as a subordinate but…I agree that's fair enough."  
"Do you want to shake on that?"

"No…your word is enough."

"Good…and with that said, I bid you goodnight, Mr. Aurion."

She blew out the lantern next to her, plunging the room into darkness a moment later a faint mutter of 'it's Kratos' reverberated around the room.

She rolled her eyes before falling to sleep's power.

--

The next morning when Raine was stirred by the morning's rays falling through the window she awoke slowly, straightening from her cramped position in the armchair and stretching.

Colette slumbered on peacefully in the bed, the sun failing to hit her at an angle that would cause her to wake. The professor smiled gently at her undisturbed state before clambering out of the warm chair half-heartedly, looking for the room's male occupant at the same time…in much the same manner.

He wasn't there and she quickly took his absence as an opportunity to take over the small, adjacent bathroom to bathe, wake Colette and move outside with the ready packed bags to look for him.

He was, as usual, standing on a nearby rock, looking off into the distance, a thoughtful expression playing over his face.

Raine cleared her throat and he turned slowly, nodding to her and Colette, leaping off the rock to meet them in the path.

"I suggest we travel this route," he traced a faint line with his finger on the map she was holding "it's more beaten, but shorter, if we take that then we should reach the desert's boundary by nightfall…if we keep up a brisk pace."

Raine nodded. "How is it for thieves though?"

"Sparse, I didn't encounter any on the trail on the way to Iselia."

She nodded again. "Very well."

She called Colette over, noticing that the girl had become distracted by a Dalmatian dog that was sitting in the surrounding gardens. She was petting it gently and talking to it.

Colette heard Raine's call and turned, waving, before giving the dog a final pat and walking back to the waiting adults.

"I've named her Pookie." She informed Raine brightly.

"That's…..wonderful Colette."

Kratos merely gave the girl a withering glance, which Raine had to agree was justified, and started to walk to the exit, hand resting on the scabbard of his sword once again as Raine patted the girl on the shoulder, guiding her to follow the mercenary.

The sky was its typical shade of blue as they headed out of the safety zone, white wisps of clouds floating lazily over it as the sun began to beat down relentlessly.

After just a few hours of walking the change in climate was already becoming noticeable. A wind began to pick up, the air began to dry and the sun became too hot for comfort.

Even the ground began to dry out, the grass becoming straggly, deprived of the nutrients from the soil it so desperately needed to survive. Wild flowers became sparse, pools of mud or water on the side of the road became non existent and dust would billow from the track below them with every footstep.

By midday, Raine was panting with the heat, her formerly good mood from the frankly wonderful night's sleep before hand evaporating like water from the air.

Even Colette's sunny disposition seemed to have dropped a notch.

Kratos was the only person who remained, apparently, unaffected by the increasing heat but he seemed to have noticed the girls' discomfort and called them to a halt.

They ate lunch by the side of the road, taking shelter in the shade cast by a lonely tree, Raine and Colette discussing the climate.

To their surprise, Kratos joined in for a spell, remarking upon how quickly the land had dried out within the few miles they had walked. Raine theorised out loud that it was probably due to the recent mana shortages which caused droughts. The mercenary agreed quietly.

Their respite from the trek, however, was only brief and they moved off again within half an hour, heading back into the midday sun, walking into the increasing heat.

By the time dusk began to fall, sand dunes had become visible and the ground had turned from packed, dried mud to grains of sand.

The heat however, was fading quickly as the desert wind picked up and a terracotta sky faded to velvet blue, the moon tracing the soft curves of distant sand dunes with silver, colouring golden sand blue. A still, silent ocean seemed to stretch out before them, contained within high rock walls as if some lord had wished, on a whim, for it to be captured and held forever as a piece of art. Like a nightingale caught in a cage.

Raine looked out over it as they set up camp on a bed of sand, grains sliding beneath their feet as they laid out blankets and built a small fire.

Colette settled down to sleep especially early, huddling into the warmth of the fire and draping a blanket that Raine proffered to her insistently over herself.

The combination of wind and the cold air of the desert at night had the girl shivering fitfully. Raine draped another blanket over her before resuming her post by the fire.

"If you wish to sleep," Kratos stated, stoking the fire "I'll take the night watch."

"You've done that every night so far, save for the last."

"And your point is?"

"It's not fair to make you take it all the time. I have an equal responsibility in caring for Colette."

"I am used to getting little sleep."

"Maybe so but if you continue it'll start affecting your performance during the day, which could place Colette and I in danger."

"…True," he agreed after a lengthy pause. "Very well…then we should share the night watch," He slid onto the floor "wake me around two o'clock."

He turned over and Raine turned back to watching the desert, ears listening for the noises of human activity.

After some time, all she was picking up were the sounds of Colette and Kratos' breathing as they slept. His however…it wasn't deep and slow like that of a normal person breathing, just a fraction different from usual and she wondered if he wasn't just dozing.

Maybe he was just a light sleeper, but she had the feeling that he didn't trust her enough to let himself fall asleep completely.

She vowed not to take it personally, it seemed like he didn't trust anyone other than himself, so why should she be any different? She would remain as detached from him as he was from her...although…why the thoughts that she had to match him and prove herself to him came her head, not to mention that she was slightly affronted by his lack of trust, she didn't know.

He was, at best, a colleague. An undeniably attractive colleague, probably the first decent looking male she had seen in years, with the exception of a too young Lloyd, but only a colleague nevertheless.

And ok, he may well be an ok person to socialise with once you got to know him and yes he was intelligent and yes, he did have a certain….mystery about him that was intriguing…but she was not some lovesick, teenage school-girl who dreamed about being whisked away by some dark, handsome, dashing stranger.

She was Raine Sage, a scholar; logical, rational, strong, confident, professional and intelligent. She most certainly wasn't going to let herself start lusting after this man and trying to start a futile attempt at a relationship with him because a) it wouldn't work, b) the relationship would end up breaking down once they reached the end of the journey together and c) the final, most important issue…she wasn't interested.

Because she was professional, and strong. Confident and mature. She didn't need a man to make her appreciate her value like so many other women because she already knew it.

She looked at his figure, outlined by flickering firelight and rolled her eyes at herself.

So, yes, she would admit he was attractive, but there wasn't anymore interest there. He was arrogant for a start and he was….closed off and he was….he was….he was…

Off-limits. Uninterested.

And that was all that mattered. Oh…and that one other thing. She was Raine Sage and she refused to give in to that temptation that was starting to bloom in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

A.N: Hope you liked the chapter. I'm hoping that I'm managing to keep the characters...well, in character. OOCness bugs me quite a lot so...yeah, hoping I'm doing an ok job.

Now...please push my button.


	5. Hiding Truths

A.N: Another chapter done. Not much to say other than apologies for the slight delay in posting, any grammatical mistakes and the rather long length of this chapter. Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed, as always.

Enjoy.

* * *

Hiding Truths

Kratos woke as Raine tentatively tapped him on the shoulder, tiredly mumbling something about his turn to take night watch. He nodded, rolling from underneath a thin blanket to take up his post watching the surrounding area for signs of danger as Raine slipped under the blanket he had left behind, mumbling something about it still being warm. He was willing to bet that he wasn't supposed to have heard that, nor would the comment even have existed had Raine been fully awake.

Settling himself into a relatively comfortable groove in the sand, he quickly scanned the dusty area, sharp eyes picking out crevices that potential dangers could be hiding in. There was no sign of anything being in them, but he kept a watchful eye upon them as his listened to the quiet of the early morning…which was broken rather rudely by a fitful snore from Raine.

He swivelled to look at her; distaste, annoyance and the vaguest hint of amusement playing across his face as he stared at the sleeping figure. The noise was…fairly grotesque and likely to start attracting unwanted attention. And yet, there was something oddly entertaining about seeing this girl who was so careful to control herself and how she was portrayed to others snoring unashamedly.

He turned away to look out over the night-time landscape again, letting his thoughts wander from the task of surveying it. Traversing from the topic of the state of the world and the journey ahead, his mind turned to his current companions…more specifically to the snoring one. Colette…the chosen, there was no point in him even considering her to be anything more than bait…her life would be over in a few months.

Raine however….well technically he _shouldn't _think of her as a person, he was only going to end up hurting her…but of course, she knew about her student's fate already, just as the chosen herself did.

He had to give the professor credit…she was remaining surprisingly strong considering what she knew. Any emotion she was feeling, she was covering up well…she knew there was no use in showing it here which would make this journey a whole lot easier.

He turned to give the sleeping woman a glance, wondering how she had matured so quickly. Though he wasn't sure, he would hazard a guess that she wasn't any older than 25 and yet she acted as if she was well over 35. He would never admit it…but he was impressed by her maturity and though there hadn't been any call for her to really use it yet, her intellect was undoubtedly equally impressive if not more so.

The sky lightened a fraction as he stretched his legs out, finger tapping against the hilt of his blade as he watched the sun slowly rise. It was only 6am and yet the sun was already becoming uncomfortably strong and it was only going to get hotter.

Stepping carefully around the now burnt out fire he nudged Colette awake before strolling around the rest of the ash to wake Raine. She rolled over, swatting him away before realising what she was doing and quickly apologising, avoiding eye contact with him.

Smirking, Kratos pulled away to attend to the remains of the fire, mixing sand and ash together to cover up the fact that they had camped there. With the task completed he packed away the equipment that was lying around, watching out of the corner of his eye as the women readied themselves for the day, nibbling on the fruit they had been given at the house of salvation yesterday, drinking sparingly from the water canteens. From here on in, they would have to ration the supply of water carefully.

With blankets and tools packed away and breakfast eaten, the trio started their trek for the day.

"How far away is the next stop?" Raine asked, using her staff to give her better footing as she walked, sand sliding smoothly underfoot.

"Assuming you want to go to Triet first, about a day's travel, maybe less depending on our speed."

"Professor Sage do we know where the seal is?" Colette asked, trotting alongside her teacher as Kratos walked a little way ahead, as usual.

"Not exactly. We know that it's in this region, given the oracle's words but under the circumstances, it would probably be best to go to Triet and try to find out."

"Is Triet likely to hold the answer?" Kratos questioned, eyes scanning the golden dunes.

"Possibly…I have a suspicion that the seal is in the Triet ruins, but it won't hurt to confirm."

"By what means?"

"Asking people is usually a good start."

Kratos nodded. "Fair enough."

--

The sun climbed higher into the sky by degrees and it seemed that with every degree that it climbed, so did the temperature. By midday, the trio had slowed to a snail's pace, the females struggling to keep going in the unbearable heat, their male companion unwilling to push them lest it had adverse effects. However even he wavered under the heat and they were eventually forced to take a break under a scraggly tree that had somehow found a water supply in the otherwise bone dry region.

It was of course at this time that they were vulnerable and therefore, because it was the worst possible time for them to be attacked it was at this precise moment that two bandits jumped out at them.

Kratos was on his feet in a split second, blade flashing with the desert sun as it whipped through the air, slicing neatly through the chest of one of them.

He hit the floor, sending a cloud of dust billowing into the air as his partner staggered away, staring at his friend's bleeding body as he gasped for breath, blood soaking into the sand coloured cloth of his shirt. His dagger lay nearby, and Kratos flicked it away with the tip of his sword before lifting the weapon to stare down bandit number two.

He staggered back, dagger falling from his hand as he lifted them and backed away, mumbling pleas of forgiveness and mercy.

The mercenary remained unfazed, staring the man down.

"Mr. Kratos…" the girl's voice was quiet, tentative. "Please…let him go…"

Kratos turned to look at the teenager.

"If I let him go free there's a good chance that he'll mug and kill another traveller. He may even come after us again."

"There's no way…"he heard the thug mutter and shot him a glare.

"Colette…Kratos is right." Raine murmured.

"I know, I know. But…I don't want to see anyone dying when I'm trying to save them in the first place," she looked back to the mercenary "Please, Kratos."

The man sighed heavily, shaking his head before looking up at the bandit. "As the Chosen wishes…your partner is still breathing, I suggest you get him and leave. Quickly."

The bandit gave a half-bow, rushing forwards to grab his partner under the arms and drag him away, a trail of drying blood being blown away as quickly as it formed.

"Thank you Kratos."

"I won't always be so generous, you're lucky in this situation that they didn't pose too much of a threat."

"I'm still grateful for it."

He inclined his head before scanning the area for any signs of other threats. Seeing nothing, he sank to the floor as the women sat down beside him pulling out their respective water canteens.

"Do you think we'll still make it to Triet tonight?" Raine questioned, watching Kratos as he wiped his brow with the long glove he was wearing.

"Possibly, I may have overestimated the distance…it's somewhat difficult to gauge given the landscape."

She nodded, looking out over the landscape as she took another drink, Colette following suit. She found it curious that so far she had seen Kratos neither eat nor drink and had only seen him sleep once.

Nevertheless, she kept quiet about it, for the moment, putting it to the back of her mind whilst they rested. She would call him up on it later.

They left the scant shade of the tree only a short while later, plunging straight back into the blistering heat of the desert, trying to steady their pace so that they neither overexerted themselves nor took too long to reach the oasis they were seeking.

As it turned out, Kratos' distance had been oddly off and the mercenary himself wondered why this was, when typically he was perfectly accurate. It wasn't exactly the first time that he had travelled this route. But there was no denying, as the trio walked with a new sense of purpose now, that the assembly of shapes in the distance was Triet.

--

Triet was hot, bright but bustling nevertheless. Shops branched off to the left of the centre of the oasis, marked by a sun mosaic set in the floor, a well and inn to the right, another street leading up from where the new arrivals stood.

Children dressed in light, open fronted shirts ran through the scorching sand barefooted, playing tag but they skidded to a halt, staring warily at the newcomers until Colette smiled at them gently.

One of the girls smiled back and continued the game, chasing her friends up the street.

"I wonder what happened here," Raine mused, watching them run "Children are rarely affected by the events of the world around them."  
"The Desians happened here."

The trio spun to face the owner of the voice, finding a man leaning on an animal's pen looking at them.

"The other day they burst in here and raided us. You see that house there?" he pointed to the shattered wood and sandstone remains of a building, a man knelt in front of it, drawing images listlessly in the sand.

"There are bloodstains on the timbers…" Kratos murmured, watching the kneeling man.

"They took his family, hung them here in the plaza. No reason given." The other man elaborated. "Either fun or to scare us into submission is my guess…"

"Strange that the Desians would attack here though." Raine stated, noticing that Kratos still hadn't taken his gaze off the bereaved man. There was an odd expression on his usually stoic, stony features. It seemed to be sympathy…

"There's no ranch in this region." She explained.

"True," the Trietan man continued "But the Desians have heard tell that the Chosen of Regeneration is headed in this direction. We pray that she is but…at the same time, she brings danger to us."

"Then this is all my fault!" Colette exclaimed, turning to look at the shattered house.

The man leaning on the pen jerked. "You're the Chosen?!"

She nodded, several people beginning to crowd around in curiosity.

"Chosen…" the man stepped forwards "We may have suffered a loss, but it is not your doing. Please, use the facilities here as you wish on your journey to regenerate the world."

"O…Ok…but I promise to you and the people of Triet I'm going to try my hardest and do my best to regenerate the world."

Raine nodded at Colette's words before turning to the man. "We're looking for information regarding the seal in this area, do you have any idea where that may be?"

The man shrugged "Triet ruins? You'll have to ask the fortune teller, she'll know better." He pointed up the street.  
"Thank you."

Raine turned away, a disturbing glint in her eye, her hand pushing on Colette's shoulder as they made their way towards the upper street.

Kratos tore his gaze away from the drawing man and followed them quickly until they reached the celestially decorated tent of the fortune teller. He held the heavy purple cloth of the tent's door aside, letting the women enter first before following, checking behind him as the curtain fell shut.

He let his attention drift as his companions talked with the fortune teller, thinking back to the man beside the crushed house. His attention was yanked back when he heard Raine make an odd noise at the mention of the Triet Ruins.

A few minutes later, after a transaction was made, they left, heading into the market area of the town at Kratos' suggestion that they stock up on supplies.

"So where are we going from here?" The mercenary asked as Raine slipped a few apple gels into her bag.

"The Triet Ruins," there was an unnerving glint of eagerness in her ice blue eyes as she said the words "a while back the original town of Triet was to the south-west, but it was destroyed when the summon spirit of fire, Efreet became enraged. The villagers fled to here but when they had lived there, there had been a temple dedicated to Efreet…it's almost certain that the seal is there."

"I see, then we move out as soon as possible."

"Yes, I agree…the history surrounding the ruin is fascinating and I'm sure it's an incredible site to study."

Kratos lifted an eyebrow, it seemed the professor was getting sidetracked.

"Wow, someone's knowledgeable about their history."

Another one of those voices from a bystander, Kratos observed as they turned to face the speaker….didn't anyone in this town _not _eavesdrop?

"Of course. I'm a scholar, I find history fascinating."

"You sound like the great Professor Raine Sage. I've read so many of her papers…she has so many ideas, so much enthusiasm, such a brilliant mind…"

"I'll second that," a man, little more than a boy, standing by the first speaker chimed in, pushing spectacles up his nose as he spoke. "What an incredible women she must be."

"Oh…I'm glad you think so." Raine commented, smiling.

"You know her?"

"Know her? I _am _her."

And again, Kratos thought, she's getting sidetracked. Colette looked at him before returning to watch Raine and her fans.

"Wow, the great Professor and the Chosen in one day…we're blessed here in Triet, for a change." The first man spoke again whilst the second nodded along enthusiastically.

"Oh well I wouldn't go that far, I'm just a researcher…"

"But Ms. Sage! Your work is exemplary, your theories, research and passion…I…I must ask…please, may…may I have your autograph?"

Raine took a step back, clearly surprised and Kratos straightened, keeping an increasingly close eye on the fans.

"Well….I apologise but…I uh, I can't right now, the Chosen needs to continue with her journey and we really must be going."

"Please, Professor, it will only take a moment.

"No I really must insist. We have to leave."

"But…"

Kratos stepped forwards to stand between the fan and the professor noticing the unease that was growing in her body language, along with the disconcerting enthusiasm of the men.

"I'm sure Ms. Sage is flattered by your interest, but she is clearly not able to linger at this time. I'm sure she will be happy to oblige if we return sometime."

"Hey, listen mate I just…"

The mercenary took a couple of long strides towards the man, right hand moving to the hilt of his sword, making sure that his intentions were understood. If he was lucky, his mere physical presence would make the men back off.

"I'll not ask you again."

The two men, finally, took the hint and backed away, turning and running when Kratos took another threatening step towards them.

He turned back, shaking his head once they were out of sight.

"Are you ok?" he asked Raine.

"Wh…yes, I'm fine, thank you I just…didn't think that there was anyone who would have that much regard for me."

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "I'm just a scholar."

"They don't seem to think so."

"True…anyway, I think we should get out of here before anything else happens to delay us."

"Agreed."

Raine called to Colette who was talking to one of the townspeople and the blonde turned, nodding before slipping on the loose sand and crashing straight through the wall of the house she was standing near.

The professor flinched, running to help the girl, leaving Kratos standing in the middle of the street, staring at the girl with a look of total disbelief.

Rolling his eyes he looked up to the sky, his suspicions that there truly was no higher force in the entire universe being confirmed. He began walking for the exit without waiting for the females. He had no doubt that Colette was completely fine after her trip.

--

The desert seemed hotter as they left the oasis, heading for the ruins to the south-west. They had been walking for a couple of hours at least when they heard a howl.

Kratos spun instantly into the direction of the cry, sword already drawn as he ushered Raine and Colette behind him.

The creature, whatever it was, was coming up fast, for he could hear its pants as it ran, the pad of its paws upon sand. A flash of white flickered above the ridge they had just descended, and then there was a dog-like creature sailing through the air in a graceful leap, landing at his feet and barking.

His eyes widened.

'_Noishe!'_

But surely…if Noishe was here, then that meant…

"Genis!!"

The shout, a mixture of concern, anger and surprise, erupted from behind him as the 'dog' sank to the floor, letting his passenger step-off.

Within seconds, the blue clad, white haired figure was being enveloped in a crushing embrace by a similarly haired person before being released and slapped hard across the cheek.

"Genis, what are you doing here?!"

"Lloyd…" the boy panted "Exiled from village…me too…explain later. Went to Triet…Lloyd…captured by Desians….taken to…big…blue dome…need to….save him."

Kratos lifted an eyebrow. They had captured the boy….why?

Colette was overloading the new arrival with questions whilst Raine turned her gaze across the desert. She turned to Kratos.

"We can't leave him with the Desians."

He nodded. "No…I suppose we'd better find our way to this dome then…and plan a way to get in…though I wasn't even aware that there was a Desian facility in this area."

The professor shrugged. "Apparently there is," she turned to her brother. "Genis. This dome, where is it?"

"Noishe knows the way."

The creature howled, pacing over to the mercenary who rested a hand lightly on his side.

"Then we'd better get there as soon as possible. Colette, Genis get on…" he waved his hand vaguely at the beast. The children clambered onto the animal's back as the mercenary turned to Raine.

"We'll have to run alongside. Think you can handle it?"

"I'm going to have to aren't I?"

He nodded, turning to the children. "Let's go."

Noishe seemed to understand the words perfectly and lurched away, running into an easy stride, Kratos her and Raine running alongside the beast, the latter struggling to keep up.

"Genis," Kratos called to the boy "How strong was the security at the base?"

"..There were two guards on the outside, but…I dunno they didn't seem very competent. They actually let me go just 'cos I pretended to cry."

A smirk crept onto Kratos face. "Nice trick, if a little devious."

Genis smiled. "Did what I had to. And besides, as long as we get Lloyd back, I think it's worth it."

Kratos said nothing, just nodded and focused on keeping his pace steady, noting that Raine was starting to lag a little.

It was little wonder with the sun beating down as it was, the air skin-crackingly dry, the temperature growing blisteringly hot as it hit the midday heat of the desert. Normally, Kratos would have called for a halt in travel at this time, just as Triet shut down for midday siestas, but under the circumstances, it was not an option. Lloyd could very well be in danger of loosing his life at the hands of the Desians.

He shook his head to himself, looking at Raine as she struggled to keep up with the pace Noishe was setting, white strands of hair clinging to her face with sweat. Reaching beneath the black cape he wore, he pulled out a water canteen and handed it to her silently, nodding when she gave him a questioning look as a sign for her to drink from it. It may have been his own supply of water but there was more in it than either hers or Colette's. Besides, he wouldn't need it as much as them.

They ran in silence for most of the journey, focusing all their energy on keeping moving rather than talking, hoping that they would reach the base in time.

--

Noishe trotted to a stop behind a large outcropping of rock, standing in the shade it provided and letting Colette and Genis slip off his back.

The passengers patted him gratefully as they turned back to look at Kratos and Raine following, both showing the strain of having travelled the large distance of the desert by their own means. Raine looked considerably more tired than Kratos though and Genis didn't fail to notice how close the mercenary was walking to his sister, and the close eye he was keeping on her.

After a few minutes, the two adults reached the shade and Raine began to sink gratefully to the floor when Kratos caught her by the arm, shaking his head.

"If you sit down now, you're unlikely to get up again any time soon. We can rest after we've secured Lloyd's safety."

The professor didn't say anything, but her feelings on the subject were painted onto her face quite clearly. Kratos quickly let go of her arm and Raine nodded and sighed a moment later. It may not be to her liking, but she knew that he was right…Lloyd's safety was the main priority here.

Kratos crept away to the edge of the rock, glancing around it to the entrance of the blue dome, taking in the area and positioning of the guards before returning to his companions.

"How are we going to get in?" Colette asked, looking up at Kratos as he walked back.

"We'll have to find a way to lure them from the door and deal with them."

"Do I hear the words 'distract the guards' coming my way?" Genis asked, a smirk writing itself onto his face.

"Normally I would aim those words at a woman," Kratos stated "but…considering our only woman is not in a position to do so, you'll have to."

Raine glared up at Kratos from here position of hands resting atop knees as she took deep, steadying breaths. He lifted an eyebrow and turned away to Genis.

"If you can lure them up to the edge of the rock, Colette and I can ambush them from there…and Raine," he added as an afterthought "if she feels capable of doing so."

The younger of the white haired siblings nodded, setting off and out into the path that led down to the entrance to the base.

After a moment there was a short dialogue, the content of which Kratos didn't catch…nor did he care about as long as Genis could lure the guards away.

"It's just around this corner," Genis explained to the two men following him before side-stepping around the rock, giving Kratos a clear run at them.

By the time the boy had turned to start casting a spell, the two men were already taken care of. Kratos was kneeling beside them, searching for something. After a moment, he pulled out a silver card.

"Let's go. We search the prisons first and then the rest of the base as quickly as possible."

"In and out, huh?"

"Lingering would not be a good tactic."

"Then we should get moving now, before anyone notices the guards." Raine suggested, joining the other three.

They made their way to the door quickly, Kratos taking the lead, surprised to find that the door was unlocked and it swung open at the light tap of his finger.

Glancing around the edge for signs of other guards, he slid inside, beckoning the others.

--

Sirens blared into life along the corridors and the intruders sprinted, blurring past cold metal walls and doorways, following the path of destruction that Lloyd had left in his wake. That was, the piles of unconscious guards and soldiers, the occasional shattered remains of a raybit.

Dashing up a flight of stairs, Kratos led them into a large chamber, a bizarre locking device twisting in large pit.

A flashing console just past this informed of the layout of the building and then he was dashing north into the next set of corridors, slamming a guard away as he passed through, skidding to a halt when he heard Raine call at him to stop.

"We need to ensure an escape route." She explained and Kratos nodded, gesturing at the corridor ahead.

"The control room is up there, join us when you're done."

He turned, directing Colette and Genis into a room to their left.

"Be careful of any guards. I would accompany you but…"

"It sounds like you're more needed in there. Go and make sure Lloyd is ok."

The adults turned and ran their separate ways simultaneously, Kratos swivelling left to follow the children into the only room that Lloyd could now be in.

And there he was, standing in the midst of a situation that was way over his head, the centre of attention with Genis and Colette questioning his wellbeing.

"He looks fine," Kratos observed bluntly.

Lloyd looked over at the comment, casting his gaze over the three. "You guys all came for me?"

"Perfect timing," Kratos eyes flicked up to the dark skinned half-elf standing in front of Lloyd. Onyx eyes met his own. "I'll take care of everyone at once."

Kratos wrenched his blade free from its scabbard, holding it at his side. "Get ready." He cautioned the children as the man lunged forwards, the two soldiers joining their superior in the fray.

Lloyd reacted first, lunging forwards to hack at one of the Desians that was heading for him, blades scraping together as the two locked into battle.

Colette had headed for the other soldier, rings in hand as Kratos grabbed Genis by the collar, pulling him out of the way so that he could cast spells.

"Help Lloyd and Colette."

He ran for Botta before Genis had a chance to answer, locking blades with the broader bodied man, pushing at his weapon until he staggered back, taking a pot shot swing at Kratos, warding him off.

The mercenary leapt back as his opponent curved his sword up through the air, a faint crescent moon shimmering as power coursed from the attached exsphere. Kratos thrust forwards, flicking Botta's sword aside as it descended towards him again, drawing his own sword up to slice into the half-elf's upper arm.

He tottered back, trying to recover from the blow as Kratos made to follow it up.

He never got the chance as the soldier that Lloyd was fighting backed into him and he shoved him away roughly, the force impaling him on one of Lloyd's outstretched blades.

Fire exploded to the right as Genis released a barrage of fireballs into the remaining grunt, burning him to nothing.

Botta, casting a spell, flicked his concentration to his subordinates' demise briefly, watching as his opponents advanced on him. He wasn't about to make it easy for them though. Feeling the mana well to breaking point inside him, he released it through his sword, mana combining with the power of the exsphere as he plunged the weapon into the marble floor below. The force ripped huge chunks of stone from the floor, the waves of energy carrying the rocks towards his opponents as a battle cry tore from his throat.

He saw the mercenary hunch behind his sword, a green shield forming around him, deflecting the stones harmlessly. The chosen and the young boy flung themselves out of the way just in time but the older boy…Lloyd, his reactions were not quick enough, nor did he have a way of protecting himself.

He fell back, slamming into the floor as one of the rocks buried itself into his chest, knocking him to the floor with a sharp crack that was almost lost under the rumble of stone.

It was not lost to Kratos though and he quickly lowered his shield, commanding Colette and Genis to attack Botta as he turned his attention to the injured Lloyd, conjuring a healing spell as blood trickled from the boy's head where he had hit the floor.

White light spilled out towards the boy, encircling him as Kratos pulled his attention immediately back to the battle, charging forwards to smash Botta's weapon away from the Chosen, just as the boy healed and stood.

Lloyd took stock of the scene, head and chest aching faintly, the warmth of the healing spell Kratos had just cast on him dissipating. He snatched his swords from the floor, determined to prove himself to the older man, whom thought he was useless. The older man was currently dodging the wide, sweeping arcs of Botta's blade, and Lloyd dashed forwards, taking a swing at the half-elf whilst he aimed for Kratos.

The blow caught him under the ribs, shearing through cloth and skin and Botta staggered, balance and concentration lost under shock of injury.

Kratos noticed the change and turned his blows offensive, bringing his blade down hard onto Botta's. The red blade snapped under the blow, clanging to the floor. The half-elf backed away, the thinnest trickle of blood soaking into his clothes as a grunt escaped his lips. He exhaled slowly.

"I underestimated your abilities."

With a disgusted glance at the blade he threw the handle to the floor, turning and running from the room. Lloyd made to go after him, stopping when Kratos cut him off with a wave of his hand.

The hiss of air and steel made the assembly turn and Raine entered, barely acknowledging the people present, making her way to the broken remains of the sword. A blue stone glinted from within a pocket, embedded in the surface of the sword. She ran her finger over it, a warm pulse being emitted as she did so.

"Isn't this a…?"

"Professor!"

She straightened looking at the boy who had just addressed her. "Ah, Lloyd. Genis told me what happened," she glanced at her brother harshly. "I apologise for the trouble he's caused you."

"No," Lloyd shook his head "I'm the one who dragged Genis into this. I'm sorry."

Kratos fidgeted uncomfortably in the room, noticing that time was running by. "Save the chitchat for later," he scolded "we shouldn't stay here long."

"You're right," Raine agreed because he was, of course "I opened the escape route just now. Let's go."

The group murmured in agreement following her and Kratos as they left the room, guiding them through the maze of corridors of the base.

White light greeted them, hot and bright as they escaped into the burning desert, the green and white figure of Noishe distorted by heat haze.

"Noishe!" Lloyd exclaimed, running up to greet the animal. "You came too?"

The animal let out a whine in response, nuzzling against Lloyd for attention as the group gathered around, out of sight of the base.

Raine cleared her throat. "I have a question…this…crystalline object that was attached to the weapon…is this one of the exspheres that Genis spoke of?"

"It would seem so." Kratos answered, looking at the stone cradled in the palm of her hand, the blue hue reflecting off white skin.

The conversation seemed to jog a memory in Lloyd and he looked pointedly at Kratos' left hand. "Oh yeah, you use an exspheres too."

The mercenary lifted an eyebrow. "…so you noticed." Well, at least he was observant.

"Well d'uh."

Garnet eyes narrowed.

"What are they, exactly?"

Kratos turned his attention back to the woman. "It'll take a while to explain. We can talk about it when we reach Triet."

Raine nodded, watching Lloyd as he shouted enthusiastically to his pet, letting the animal lead them back. Genis and Colette caught up with them, leaving the two adults to follow. She couldn't help but notice the way he was looking at Lloyd and Noishe intently, an implacable expression flittering over his face for an instant.

It was gone by the time she had blinked, but as she watched him from the corner of her eye, she had the same disturbing feeling of familiarity.

* * *

Hope it's a good read so far, let me know if there's anything you think I could improve on with this fic so far.

Now please push my button, the more times, the better :)


	6. Shards of Meaning

A.N: Ok, so here it is, chapter 5. Thanks, as always, for the reviews. There's been a rapid increase in them over the past couple of days which I'm pleased about and everyone's said that Raine and Kratos are in character, which I'm particularly pleased about. So thanks for that. Now:

Enjoy!

* * *

Shards of meaning

The high sandstone walls of Triet loomed high over the soft dunes, the cool blue of the oasis and its limited greenery a stark contrast to the golden blanket that was the only other colour in sight. Aside from those few splotches of colour in the distance the only other colours in the desert were the six moving specks heading for the At the back of the moving palette, a black and an orange smudge inched along the sandy canvas.

Raine shifted her grip on her staff, using it to support her in the sliding sand. Kratos strode alongside her easily, his black, fork-tailed cape draped over one arm instead of over.  
The professor was squirming uncomfortable under the heat of the sun and her coat and she was eventually forced to remove it. At least the thin blouse she wore underneath meant that she wasn't about to burn…unlike Kratos whose shoulders were gradually turning an unflattering shade of red.

Individual thoughts weighed heavily on both adults minds as they followed the youngsters who were talking animatedly to each other, using their youth to overcome the blistering heat. Although it had to be said that Lloyd did stop and complain about the heat increasingly frequently. Kratos had told him on a number of occasions to stop whining. The youngster had refused to take the 'hint'.

Raine let her thoughts drift as she wandered, away from the Triet ruins to the man walking beside her, his call to Lloyd to stop treating the journey like a holiday jarring her away from that sugar-laden abandoned city ruin.  
There was something about him that was still vaguely suspicious, not only his lack of normal human habits such as eating, drinking and sleeping, not just his low position given his advantageous qualities but…the fact that he had turned up in the first place. The chances of a mercenary randomly turning up to the village of the oracles on the day of prophecy and just happening to wander up to the temple where the oracle was to be received and just happening to be looking for a new job…what were the chances?

Slim to none.

Not that series of events. Never. He was here for a reason to do with the Chosen…what exactly, she wasn't sure and as no one else seemed to be suspecting anything, it would be up to her to keep an eye on the mercenary.  
So…let's see what his excuse was.

"Kratos." She started, calling his attention to her. He looked over with an expression of polite curiosity.

"What is it?"

She hesitated for a moment, wondering if this was safe territory to enter into. But then, if he wasn't to be trusted, she needed to know. She pressed on.

"Why did you take on the job of guarding Colette?"

He reached up to pull a strand of hair that was stuck to his cheek with sweat out of the way of his eye before replying, a slightly derisive 'humph' preceding his answer.

"I'm a mercenary, that's how we earn money to live."

"In other words, it's just a job?" She met his eyes as she asked, trying to detect if he was lying.

"That's correct." He stared right back at her as he answered, eyes locked steadily with hers.

"That's really all?"

"Yes…" his tone was becoming cool, clearly irritated by the interrogation.

She nodded, saying no more about it. Creating further tensions wouldn't help.

"Excuse me, I wish to speak with Lloyd."

He quickened his pace pulling away from her and she watched him go, noting the hand on scabbard as he pulled up beside Lloyd.  
She guessed he was having a talk on swordsmanship from the way Lloyd rolled his eyes and looked disgruntled.

Shaking her head she picked up her pace, keeping up with the rest of the group as they made their way to Triet. If she were going to keep an eye on him, for whatever reason, she was going to have to see if she could get a little closer.

--

She suspected something. Kratos knew it, her earlier questioning giving that away easily, though her method of interrogation was a little…direct. Perhaps she was trying to warn him that she was keeping an eye on him …but even if that were the case…she was far too shrewd for it to be that alone.

For the moment, she seemed to be content with the answers he had given, which in all honesty, were true. It _was_ his job to protect and guide the chosen. At the very least she had abandoned her interrogation of his motives and exchanged that for the gaining of knowledge.

It was an admirable trait in a person, Kratos thought, especially one as young as her. Of course, when she had said that she was a scholar, it became obvious that she wanted to learn…but it was with the ferocity that she held that desire for knowledge that he found particularly admirable. Lloyd, for all his heart, was a prime example of what far too many youngsters were like nowadays. Uninterested in learning because it wasn't completely relevant to everyday life.

Raine learned for the love of learning, regardless of whether it was practical or relevant.

"…In other words, these Exspheres are amplifiers that awaken our dormant capabilities," Raine ran her thumb almost lovingly over the crystal in her hand, the excitement in her voice showing through her actions. "I wonder if I could use on too?!"

"That would be difficult," Kratos stated, leaning against the wall of the large bedroom of Triet's main inn. His left foot was planted firmly against it, arms crossed over his chest, eyes watching Raine intently. "Exspheres are…harmful to the body without a key crest."

Raine caught it, just a subtle tremor in Kratos voice as he said the word 'harmful'.

"Um…can't we just make a key crest?" Colette asked from her position sitting on one of the beds. Genis and Lloyd were sitting on the others.

"As I told you before," the mercenary explained again patiently, having already explained this to Raine "a Key Crest is made by processing inhibitor ore, then engraving it with a crest to control the Exsphere attached to its surface. It is said to be a secret art known only to the dwarves."

"Yeah. I can engrave that charm…er, crest, but only my dad can process the ore." Lloyd stated, righting his lying position.

"Well, is there any inhibitor ore among these materials?"

It was perhaps only Genis who didn't shoot a perplexed look to Raine…and even he was wondering just how far Raine had gone when she pulled a roll of cloth that had created a loose bag out, spreading it across the floor. A variety of ancient artefacts and materials sat atop the khaki cloth.

"Raine! Did you bring these from our house?!" Genis exclaimed, scrambling off the bed to peer more closely at the items. Kratos lifted an eyebrow as Lloyd and Colette shifted. The teenage boy clambered to his feet to crouch beside the cloth and look at the display.

"Of course. They're valuable research materials. This is a holy vase from the Balacruf Mausoleum. This is a jewelled sword from the Martel Temple. This is a priest's crown from the Asgard ruins. This is yellow ore from the Hima mines…" She pointed to each item methodically, lovingly running her fingers over a few.

"What the?… It's all junk!" Lloyd shrugged and Kratos watched with a sense of quiet amusement as the woman shot to her feet, her presence seeming to tower over the boy despite the fact he was taller than his teacher. The fact that he found it amusing surprised him.

"What did you just say?!" she folded her arms across her chest, somehow managing to look threatening and Kratos shook his head to himself before noting the one item sitting on the cloth that Raine had neglected to mention. He walked forwards, side-stepping the enraged Raine and terrified Lloyd to pluck the item from the floor.

"Hmm?" he mused, turning it over in his hand, attracting Raine and Lloyd's attention "This is…"

"Ah, I picked that up in front of the human ranch. It was engraved with angelic language, so I took it home." The professor supplied, edging closer to Kratos to look at the stone he was holding. From here, he could just about feel the heat emanating from her body.

He recalled vaguely that as he had escorted Raine, Genis and Colette back to the village he had seen her stoop to pick something up, but hadn't questioned it at the time, too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

"Professor! This is key crest!" Lloyd shifted forwards, eyes widening slightly at the object in Kratos' palm. The mercenary turned it over for them both to see more clearly, tracing the text with his finger, pointing its damaged condition out to them.

"The crest is half worn off," he shook his head as lifted it to meet Raine's eyes, the hopeful look fading to disappointment. "It's unusable like this."

Raine's lips pursed but Kratos stepped towards Lloyd, offering the item to him. He had been raised by a dwarf, so it was likely he had learnt some of the skills of creating key crests.

"…I can fix that," Lloyd confirmed after a moment of examining it "Don't worry, Professor, you'll be able to equip that Exsphere tomorrow."

Raine smiled brightly, her enthusiasm returned. "Really?! Thank you, Lloyd! I'm sorry to make you go through the trouble, but I appreciate it."

Light glinted in her eyes as Lloyd gave a brief explanation of how he would mend the crest and she nodded and smiled in understanding. Colour flushed into her otherwise pure white cheeks as she did and Kratos pulled himself away to sit on the bed he had claimed for himself, pulling out his sword to clean it, inspecting it for blood from the fight earlier.

Eventually the group dispersed, heading back to their individual rooms, wishing each other a good night. Lloyd settled himself into a chair, pulling a small knife out in preparation for carving the charm.

The door clicked shut.

A few hours passed in silence, Lloyd concentrating intently on fixing the Key Crest, Kratos sitting on the bed, watching him work. Occasionally, the mercenary would climb to his feet and pace about the room, casting a watchful eye over Lloyd and his work before returning to the bed to read.

Lloyd stood up from his chair abruptly. "Ok, it's done."

Kratos looked up from his book, slowly standing and wandering over to Lloyd, looking at the object in his hand. The boy held it out to him reluctantly, obviously expecting some form of criticism.

Turning the key crest over in his hands, Kratos peered at the workmanship on its face. The gentle, swirling patterns of angelic text were carved neatly into the ore…they weren't perfect, but they were decent and would serve the purpose. Kratos handed it back to the younger male. "It's a good piece of work. I imagine Dirk would be quite pleased if he were to see this." His throat constricted slightly as he said the name of the boy's step-father.

"Nah, he'd probably call this second rate."

Kratos shrugged. "At the very least, it will fulfil its purpose."

Lloyd nodded, tossing the crest lightly in his hand. "Yeah…I'll go and give this to the professor."

"Once you're done," Kratos lifted his voice slightly as he made for the door "you should consider getting some rest. We have a hard day ahead of us tomorrow and it's getting late."

The boy gave a slight smile. "I will. Besides, I won't be long."

He slipped out the door, closing it behind him, leaving Kratos to wander over to the table Lloyd had been working on and brush the spirals of carved ore from its surface.  
Through the thin floors of the inn, he could hear Lloyd speaking with someone…the chosen he guessed, for Raine's voice was deeper and more mature than the light, childish tones that drifted down to him.

They spoke for a few minutes before the sound of Lloyd leaving the room echoed through the hotel, the sounds of him entering the Sage sibling's room following.

He sat down in a chair, listening for a moment before standing decisively, retrieving his sword from its place on the bed. He had been wanting to meet with Noishe in private for some time now and from the sounds of it, as gasping and sputtering from Genis erupted, now was the ideal time. Lloyd would not return to the room for a while and therefore not notice his absence.

Strapping the sword on, he opened the door that led into the reception area quietly, keeping his footsteps almost silent as he headed for the door outside.

The air was wonderfully cool, a light wind carrying the silence of the desert to him and he took a deep breath of the night air, looking up to a star jewelled sky before heading for the animal.

It whined and hopped around excitedly at his approach before he lay a hand onto his head, massaging soft white fur.

"It's been a while, Noishe."

The creature huffed in agreement, sniffing at his palm.

A wooden door closed somewhere and he tensed at the noise, letting his right hand cup the animals jaw as he listened. Footsteps were heading straight for him, right behind him.

The blade was whisked from its scabbard and wielded expertly, coming to stop a hair's breadth away from the throat of…

"Lloyd…"

He stared into the wide brown eyes of the teen and pulled the sword away, sheathing it, noticing Lloyd's heavy breathing. "I'm sorry to have…startled you."

"Startled isn't the word for it." Lloyd commented, bringing a gloved hand up to his throat subconsciously.

Kratos turned away to look at Noishe, his plan ruined, calmly informing Lloyd: "You'd best not stand behind me."

Not if he wanted to live anyway. A lifetime of being attacked and ambushed from behind made for a strong sense of paranoia and very fast, deadly reflexes. His nerves hummed every time he sensed a person's presence where he couldn't see them.

After a moment Lloyd shrugged. "I won't." He stepped forwards to stand beside the older man, silence settling in. His curiosity over Kratos' reasons for being here eventually won out and he turned to the older man, his tone conversational.

"Do you like animals?"

"No…not particularly."

Now that was odd, considering he was standing with his hand resting gently against Noishe's muzzle. It prompted Lloyd to comment.

"…Well, Noishe seems to be quite comfortable with you. He usually doesn't like strangers." 'doesn't like' was an understatement. Noishe was usually terrified of strangers, and yet here he was acting as if he had known Kratos everyday of his life…strange animal.

"I had a pet…long ago." Kratos said eventually, pulling his hand away from Noishe.

"Really?"

Kratos let out a half-sigh before turning to the boy. "Lloyd…"

Lloyd twisted his head to look at him, his apprehensive facial expression so disturbingly familiar that he couldn't help but stare, taking in the features that reminded him.  
His heart stung a little.

"Wh …what? What are you staring at me like that for?"

He had been staring too long, lost in his own thoughts and Lloyd was becoming nervous and suspicious. It was fortunate that he was the kind of person who could be made to forget about these little details easily, provided you hit them with something hard enough. And he knew exactly what to say.

The expression on his face snapped closed, coldness building in his throat as he shut Lloyd out.

"…Your swordsmanship is unrefined. You should focus a little more on eliminating your vulnerabilities."

He stepped past Lloyd as if he were insignificant, muttering "…if you care about your life." as he walked away, returning to the room in the inn.

He climbed into bed before Lloyd re-entered, the boy ranting to his pet no doubt, waiting for him to settle himself in before he could return to consulting Noishe.

--

The morning's light shone through the partially blinded windows of Triet's inn, falling in light and dark bars across the bed occupied by Raine Sage. Harsh streams fell heavily across her face, causing the professor to throw her arm over her face in annoyance.

She hadn't been woken by the light for the simple fact that she had barely slept at all despite the more civilised sleeping conditions.

Groaning softly to herself so as not to wake the still slumbering Genis she climbed out of the bed, heading for the window. Cool fresh air gusted in where the wooden slats failed to block it and she took several deep breaths, using its sting to wake her properly. Within about half an hour, heat would be creeping into the air, making it heavy again. Shifting she looked out of the window, taking in the scene of Triet at sunrise.

Orange seemed to be the predominant features although purple shadows still clung to the edges of buildings and under overhanging roofs, shielded from the sun….for the moment. Light and heat would penetrate all soon.

The sound of water sloshing gently caught her attention and she shifted, noting a tall, male figure carrying a pail of water. She soon realised it was Kratos. Given the time of morning her suspicions that he didn't sleep at all were starting to be confirmed.

Pushing away from the window, she decided to start her day…there was little point beating about the bush and besides, it may just give her the chance to talk to Kratos in private.

It was he who had kept her awake all night. Not through any form of his physical presence but the fact that he had joined them in the first place. Worry had gnawed at her mind about his intentions and though she had sworn she would keep an eye on him, she realised that given his secretive nature that was going to be difficult. Of course that was the _only _reason he had kept her awake…it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he was the sort oferson who consumed every moment of your mind's thought, attracting you with both body and mind. How could anyone be interested in someone that attractive, that strong , that intelligent, that…male?

It was nothing to do with the fact, therefore, that she had not had an adult relationship with someone for three years, that she hadn't let down her barriers and hadn't been touched in that time. No, not at all.

Biting her lower lip, she tried to convince herself that this was, in fact, the case and therefore she was going outside to check on his actions, not to try and get some sort of information about him for her personal use. She grabbed the robe she had brought with her from her pack, pulling it on and tying it quickly and heading outside the inn towards the well.

Or attempted to anyway. She was stopped by a six foot and one inch high wall of muscle by the fact she had just walked straight into it, too wrapped up in her own thoughts to have noticed it.

A large hand wrapped about her wrist, stopping her from falling back from him.

"Kratos…" she looked up, pausing in astonishment when she saw the corner of his mouth turned up in amusement. It disappeared when he registered what she was staring at and she quickly tried to regain some semblance of control. "I'm sorry I…didn't see you."

"That," he stated as he released her wrist, stepping back to let her straighten "is quite clear."

"I suppose so…" She flushed a little in embarrassment, quickly straightening, holding her head high to compensate a moment later.

Silence settled in between them and Raine took that as a queue to wander away to the well, dipping a bucket in to gather water.

"What, if I may ask, are you doing up at this time?" Kratos asked suddenly and Raine looked up to see him leaning against Noishe's stall casually, watching her.

She shrugged, holding up the pail of water in demonstration before replying: "I could ask you the same thing."

"You could…but I'm sure you've become aware of my habits already."

"Late to bed, early to rise, hmm? One would think that you don't sleep."

Something dangerous shot through the depth of sanguine eyes and he lifted his head in away that suggested he was a little taken aback. He shook his head gently after a moment.

"Just able to function on the minimum."

"Handy."

He made a noise of agreement. "In answer to your earlier question," he straightened "I was drawing water for Noishe. Lloyd seems the type to sleep in and his pet shouldn't suffer simply because of his irresponsibility."

"True, but Lloyd only learns through experience and other people's suffering. Shouting at him doesn't work, because he doesn't care what you do to him. You have to hurt others to make him care. Besides…doing things for him won't help either, although I admire your desire to try and make him take some responsibility. It's something Dirk never managed to get him to do."

Emotion split through the depths of his eyes for a second again.

Eventually Kratos turned away, signifying the end of the conversation without closing it. Raine returned to her room to bathe and dress, mulling over the conversation between them.

--

The woman was astute. It was getting to be a problem, Kratos mused, watching Raine surreptitiously from across the town centre's mosaic as they waited for Lloyd.

With that short interaction alone earlier that morning, she had already caught him off-guard twice and that was something that unnerved him. It meant his mask was slipping…or that she was very perceptive. Or maybe it was just luck.

He hoped, in some odd way, that it was in fact, her perception and his lack of attention. It made for something interesting to occupy his mind and that was something that he found difficult to come by as of late.

But then…though he didn't like to admit it, she was already holding his intrigue. She had proved her intelligence, confidence and strength of character already and when she had aided Genis when he had fell upon entering Triet yesterday, she had shown a warmth that he had not seen from her before.

Still…he would have to be careful about what he gave to her. One slip and everything was lost in life, just one mistake could tear down your world and leave it in shattered remains on the ground.

Most of his shards were pieced together loosely nowadays, held together by brittle string…if one gust came along, the pieces would fall and break further.

Kratos would have shaken his head at his pitiful self-analogy if Lloyd hadn't chosen that moment to appear.

He was tempted to lecture the boy on his tardiness, but that would only delay them further. He settled for a scathing remark instead.

"We can finally head out to release the seal."

Lloyd rubbed the back of his head nervously. At least he had the decency to feel guilty.

"Yes. I'll do my best." Colette stated, and the mercenary found himself worried that he had forgotten, in the midst of self-analysis, all about her.

"The seal Remiel spoke of is in the Triet Ruins southwest of here." Raine stated, her eyes looking a little glassy as she spoke.

"Cool! Let's go check out that seal!"

Kratos sighed a little to himself as the two boys started to bicker with each other over Lloyd's attitude until Raine cut in, thrusting a book into Lloyd's hands explaining that it was a project she wanted him to undertake.

Lloyd looked rather disgusted by the idea and the mercenary could not help but despair over the boy's attitude. He interrupted, directing them away and out into the desert in an attempt to stop himself becoming further depressed by the boy.

--

"Ah…so hot, man I'm beat." Lloyd complained, staggering melodramatically as they entered the remains of the former city of Triet.

"See? You're already worn out." Genis chided, and Kratos felt inclined to agree with him.

"I'm sick of this desert."

The man turned away from the whining teen as Noishe let out a nervous whine of his own. His behaviour could only mean one thing and Kratos tightened his grip on his scabbard, letting his other hand grasp the handle of his sword in anticipation of a fight. He mentally checked everyone's positions for the fight.

"What's wrong Noishe?" Lloyd asked, lifting his hands to the animal's face as he paced nervously.

"Be on your guard," Kratos warned, "there are enemies about!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than two piles of faded red pottery shuddered, lifting in mid-air to assembled themselves. Fire energy pulsed inside them, drawn from the power of the seal and Kratos whipped his sword out.

Lloyd had already done so and was way ahead, homing in on one of the spheres, though it was clear he didn't quite know how to tackle it.

The element sensed his hesitation and released a wave of fire that roared towards the exposed boy. Kratos stopped in his tracks towards the other element and headed for Lloyd instead, shoving him out of the way of the oncoming flame, jumping back himself to avoid it.

The flames caught on his arm and he sliced it back through the air, putting the flames out before attacking the creature, letting his sword sink into its fire core, destroying it from the inside out. The other one was being taken care of by Genis who unleashed a water attack upon it, drawing mana from the land and converting its form with magic.

The pottery dropped to the ground and shattered. It was disconcerting when Kratos considered that it was that exact analogy he made for his life earlier.

The sand settled down gradually after the short battle and Kratos found Raine healing Lloyd from a distance, soothing the minor burns on his arm before turning to the mercenary.

He opened his mouth to protest but she had already laid a hand on his arm, green mana flowing from her palm to soothe his own minor burns. He nodded in gratitude, but the fact that he had needed healing, thanks to Lloyd, was something of a sore point.

They weren't strong fighters yet, any of them, and they had no idea how to defend themselves…

"This is going to be a nuisance…" he muttered to himself, apparently not quietly enough when Lloyd heard and questioned him.

"Ah…nothing." He covered quickly…offending them all would not help the situation. "Anyway, it would be a good idea for you to learn techniques to protect yourselves."

"Are you talking about self-defence training?" Colette asked, not quite understanding what he was get at.

"Something like that. Techniques to raise your defence during battles. I'll show you how it's done. Once you grasp the theory, the rest should be easy."

'Should' was the operative word there, especially in Lloyd's case considering Raine's earlier comments about Lloyd not learning through theory.

The area was lit up with green light temporarily as each of them learned and tested the new found techniques and Kratos would admit that he felt a little better about letting them go into battle now that they knew them.

"Ok! I don't really get it, but I already feel stronger! I can't wait to try it out!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"I think you're imagining it." Genis shrugged

"Hmm?...what happened to Noishe?" Raine asked, distracting the boys from another potential bickering match. The mercenary silently thanked her for it.

Lloyd glanced around the area for his pet. "You're right. He's gone. Ah, man, he's run off again."

"He's probably nervous about the monsters. I think it would be best not to count on Noishe in places with monsters around." He stated. Although 'probably' was an understatement.

Lloyd frowned, the expression gradually turning into a glare as he regarded the older man as he strolled past him slowly walking up the steps to the entrance to the seal. Lips pursed in annoyance and the boy sprinted past him, Genis and Colette following closely, passing the mercenary. Raine followed at a slower pace, trying to contain her excitement as she stopped beside Kratos, staring at the tall, fluted black columns that surrounded the entrance to the seal.

Colette was leaning over something, examining it. She turned back to the rest of the group uncertainly.

"Say…is this the seal? It has my family's crest on it."

The excitement broke through as Raine realised the complexities of the archaeological gold mine she had just wandered into.

"Fantastic!!"

She rushed forwards, wringing her hands excitedly before standing over the black slab, bending slightly to get a better look at it.

"Look at this slab covering the entrance!! It's clearly of a different composition than the surrounding stone!"

She crouched over a little, placing her fingers against her lips before laughing quietly to herself. "It's just as I thought."

The professor fell to her knees a second later, running her hand over the flawless stone, its colour ultimate black, its texture light and solid. Apparently, everything else was just a blurry shape to her now.

"This is polycarbonate, developed during the Ancient War to defend against magic!" she explained to no one in particular "Oh, feel the smooth surface! It's wondrous!"

"…Is…she always like this?" Kratos questioned, bemusement evident in his voice as he directed the question to younger Sage. Whilst it was amusing, it was also quite worrying to see her behaving like this.

The woman stood, pacing over to the pedestal where Colette stood, bending over to look at it.

"…Is she?" Lloyd prompted, looking to Genis who shook his head in despair.

"I've been trying so hard to hide it too…" He buried his face in his hands.

"Hmm?" the soft utterance from Raine caused the group to turn to her. "This depression it reads 'oracle stone'…"

So, Kratos shifted as he regarded the woman, she knew how to read the angelic language that was no doubt inscribed on the seal's opening key. That took her a couple of notches higher in his esteem; she was turning out to be quite the talented lady.

The slab slid away from the entrance to the seal with a soft rumble, tremors running through the ground at the motion.

"Wow," Colette breathed "It opened….I guess I really am the Chosen after all."

If that was the point of view she was taken, Kratos thought, the world was doomed. Judging from Raine's facial expression of disbelief and Genis' comment, he wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Ok, now it's getting exciting," Lloyd broke in "Let's hurry up and go inside!"

"I hope you'll be able to maintain that enthusiasm." The mercenary chided quietly able to foresee what Lloyd's attitude would be like in half an hour. He had a lot to learn and he was starting to wonder if he should try and aid the boy a little…it might prove to beneficial for all that knew him.

Mulling over the thought he followed behind the children slowly as they headed down the steps into the dark heat of the temple. Raine stared around in wonder at the inside of the temple and it was only Kratos' hand at the small of her back that kept her on track as they headed into the core of the seal.

* * *

Well there you are, we're progressing slowly. Hope you enjoyed it and please don't forget to review :)


	7. Fire Fight

A.N: Hello all. Thanks for the reviews as always and apologies for not posting this yesterday...it was storming really badly and knocked my broadband out :S Really cool storm though...

Anyway uhm, yeah..fic

Enjoy!

* * *

Fire fight 

Flames roared from the creatures that stood before them, increasing the heat to unbearable levels and choked the air with ash.

Apocalyptic light slashed over slate grey walls of the seal room, lighting the angelic writing carved into the wall as a warning to the chosen. The smell of smouldering stone and wood, of sweat, hung heavy in the stale air, trapped deep within the ruins with no breeze to disperse the stench. The deafening roar of the creature, the strange high yelps of its underlings made the walls vibrate with sound, dust and grains of stone falling from the ceiling as it trembled beneath the sound.

Raine wrenched Colette from one of the small creature's grasp, its tail slicing through the air where she had been standing only moments before.

Kratos and Lloyd stood at the head of the group, swords drawn.

"Wait for the magic attacks." The older man warned, settling into a defensive position in contrast to Lloyd's offensive stance.

"First to strike wins." Lloyd countered

"Do you want to be impaled on the Ktugach's head?"

"Huh?"

The boy shifted, noting the spikes on the creature's head, before nodding grudgingly, following Kratos' advice and falling into a defensive stance.

"Genis, Colette take mid-field. Cover Lloyd and take down the Ktugachlings."

The children nodded, running forwards, their own weapons drawn, Genis already casting a spell.

"Raine, stay at the rear and heal, protect Genis and Colette when necessary."

The professor's eyes narrowed at being shoved to the rear but of course…she hadn't yet managed to conjure an offensive spell, infuriating as it was, and she was beginning to understand Lloyd's point, the mercenary was right.

"Lloyd…" he looked over to the teen "we're going to take on the main enemy. When he casts a spell, rush him."

"G-gotcha."

A second later the whole party had rushed into motion, a flurry of activity that span over the floor of the seal room like an exotic deadly dance.

The swordsmen took the fore, slashing at the large creature that seemed to be a cross between a dog and a dinosaur. Colette pirouetted, spinning the chakram she carried through the air towards one of the infant creatures as Genis unleashed a wave of water that slammed over the other, pinning it to the floor, dousing its flames.

Steam roiled as water and fire collided, icicles ploughing into the creature a moment later, the exact moment that Colette's chakram sheared neatly through the creature's neck. It dropped to the floor, thick, glowing blood oozing from its throat like lava.

Within minutes, the second infant was down as Raine cast a spell over Lloyd, healing a gash that had been drawn along his upper arm.

Kratos jumped back, ducking from the swing of the creature's tail as it turned to release a wave of flame towards him. The mercenary called up 'guardian' watching as flames coursed over and around the green bubble of energy, the heat the only element that was able to penetrate.

Ktugach reared up suddenly, jumping back and slamming into the ground, releasing a wave of energy that shattered the floor beneath their feet.

Lloyd, Genis and Colette stumbled, loosing their footing as tiles shattered and skidded from beneath them. Kratos had leapt just in time, leaving the ground as it broke apart, landing on an unbroken area just behind Raine.

She was chanting animatedly, her staff extended in front of her and as he looked up from her he noted the creature heading for the fallen children. A barrage of spines shot from its head, accompanied by a wave flame and the mercenary felt his stomach twist at what was about to happen. Not just the chosen, his charge, but the boys too…and there was no chance that he'd be able to get them out of the way in time.

He spun suddenly, aiming for the creature as its attack continued, watching as the spines and flames seemed to approach the crouched children in slow motion.

They were milliseconds away from making contact when a thin line of green-blue shimmered into existence as Raine called out her spell from the back of the room.

The spines deflected, the fire pouring over the outside of the protective orb, coursing past the children harmlessly.

Kratos lunged for the creature before its attack had finished, plunging his sword into the base of its neck as Lloyd straightened from the attack, running from the confines of the protective orb. The twin blades that he had purchased at Triet were swiping in wide arcs, slashing through the creature's mouth, opened in a roar of pain. A final wave of water crashed into the creature, drenching it as its body gave out, leaving a collapsed, smouldering corpse on the floor.

Nudging it with his foot to ensure it was dead, Kratos stepped over the creature, heading for the seal and beckoning the others to follow.

Pillars lifted as Colette took the lead a giant ring supported atop them, creating a force field. Vibrant red light glowed inside, casting bloody shades over the wall as the pillars receded.

A deep, disembodied voice sounded softly in the quiet chamber, the slight panting from the assembly the only other sound.

"You, the Chosen of Regeneration. Offer your prayers at the altar."

"Yes, my lord." Colette gave a slight nod, walking quickly up the carved steps to stand before the altar. The rest of the group hung back, watching with varying states on curiosity and excitement.

"Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength!"

White light glowed softly from the altar, dispelling the glowing red energy that had taken the centre as blinding white light shone down in rays, a pulsing ball of energy descending through it.

Light was drawn from the room, gathered by the energy and then it was solidifying, forming into the figure of an angel, his small white wings beating softly to keep him afloat.

"Colette, my dear daughter, you have done well."

The blonde girl gave a slight blush, looking uneasy at the praise.

"Thank you…fa…ther…"

Kratos lifted his head in concern, noting her hesitant, uneasy tone.

"The guardian of the seal has fallen, and the first seal has been released. Efreet will surely awaken soon. In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the angels." Remiel smiled down at the girl.

"Thank you my lord."

With a flourish of his hand a stream of tinted lights swirled from his hand, down through the air to gather in Colette. Within moments, pink tendrils were winding out from her shoulder blades, broadening and growing as more were formed and pulled out.

She fluttered the newly formed wings, rising into the air, bathing the room in rosé light. Lloyd and Genis, standing slightly behind the chosen, jerked in surprise lifting their heads to watch her ascend.

"The angel transformation will not be without pain," Remiel warned "Yet, it is but for one night. Be strong and endure."

Raine watched quietly, listening and mentally cataloguing the location of the next seal as the angel disappeared and lowered herself to the ground.

"Colette…" Lloyd breathed softly, eyes wide in wonder "..has wings!"

The girl turned, smiling. "Uh-huh, and look, I can put them away, too."

The pink wings fluttered rapidly and then disappeared, causing Genis to whoop and jump in excitement. "Oh wow! That's so cool!"

"Here, look, look." The wings fluttered into sight again and Genis jumped repeatedly in excitement for his friend, grinning wildly.

Kratos, Raine and Lloyd turned away quietly, each wearing an expression of mild exasperation. Lloyd shook his head before thinking back over Remiel's words.

"He said the next place is across the sea! That means we get to sail on a ship! Haha! I can't wait" Lloyd grinned, looking at the two adults.

"A ship…hmm. I wonder if there are any ships sailing with the way things are right now."

"We should head to the coast to see what we can find." Kratos suggested, looking at Raine who was still pondering over the state of travel. He watched her as she tapped her finger gently against her lower lip in thought, a trait he was already quite familiar with.

Distantly, he registered Lloyd calming his friends down, scolding gently at their behaviour. It gave him a vague sense of hope for the boy. He had some sense of propriety.

With the children returned to sobriety, the mercenary turned his thoughts to leaving, announcing that they should do so and heading for the warp seal.

Raine followed closely, appearing in the fire room next to him a moment later. They waited patiently until the children appeared, letting them lead the way out before following at a more leisurely pace.

The professor cleared her throat quietly, prompting Kratos to look over to her.

"You…handled yourself well in that battle." She complimented quietly.

The mercenary stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "It was nothing. A little swordplay, nothing more."

"Still…"

"I must admit though," he added interrupting her. He gave her a polite, apologetic look before continuing "you surprised me with the strength of your magic skills. I…underestimated your abilities."

"It was hardly a grand display of power." Raine shrugged, much like the mercenary himself had.

"True," Kratos agreed "But…the barrier you created to protect them was quite large. In such cases, the mana becomes too thin and stretched to form any sort of protection and yet yours held."

"Luck, I guess."

A smirk twitched at his lips at the woman's modesty as he looked up the stairs into the light filtering in from the outside.

"Skill, I would say."

He said no more about it, falling back to let Raine walk ahead, leaving her to her thoughts. He could sense surprise from her after his compliment. No doubt she was wondering why he had said it but then…so was he.

He supposed that he liked the woman in some way, for all the reasons he had mulled over before. She seemed trustworthy enough, and though any relationship was only going to end abruptly due to their jobs, he pondered over whether he should try to make something more…substantial than polite camaraderie between them. After all, it wasn't often that he came across someone he liked nowadays.

His thoughts were interrupted suddenly by the sound of someone dropping to sand.

"Colette, are you ok?"

Lloyd was rushing to the girl who had fallen to her knees. She struggled into a standing position.

"I'm….fine…" her voice was pained as she spoke.

"You don't look fine at all, your face is completely white!" Genis exclaimed, large blue eyes wide with concern for his friend.

So…the angel's trial for the chosen had begun already. He wondered how they would deal with it.

"Now's not the time for that! Her lips are turning purple. We must get her to a doctor in the city immediately." Raine scolded her brother over his self-accusing and Lloyd's pondering. However, for the world regeneration to be undertaken as it should be, the chosen would not be able to receive any medical help.

"Wait," Kratos ordered as Raine slid her arm around Colette's shoulders to steady her. "It's best not to move her."

"Why?" Lloyd questioned.

'_You never listen do you, Lloyd?'_

"Remember the angel's words. The angel transformation process requires her to overcome a trial. Rather than taking her to a doctor, it would be best to let her rest here."

"I'm…ok…" Colette attempted to soothe her friends, and he had to hand it to her, she was being remarkably strong for one her age given her situation. She was a good candidate for the chosen.

With their course of action agreed upon, the group headed a little away from the ruins, into a more secluded, protected area. A fire was quickly set up as the nights began to draw in and Noishe eventually returned to their company. He settled himself by Kratos immediately, resulting in a questioning look from Lloyd as Genis prepared their meal for the evening. Apparently, he was quite adept at cooking.

Later that evening, as the chosen wandered off on her own to gain some privacy as Genis taunted Lloyd childishly about her rejection of him, the boy wandered over to the other man. Presumably it was some display to Genis about just how irritated by his actions the older boy was, considering he could barely stand the man he was now sitting down next to.

Neither male said anything and Kratos mulled over the conversation he had heard between Lloyd and Raine. The teacher had an impressive intellect and knowledge, which he had admitted before, but now she was applying it to her subject…not in a manner that was cold or malicious, but her intrigue at Colette's changing state was interesting behaviour in itself. It meant that she could handle her emotions, something which Kratos had learnt through both his own experience and others was difficult but very, very useful. She was proving to be a very useful ally and his thoughts of forming more than just a distant work-only relationship re-emerged in his mind.

Kratos shifted a little, trying to change his thought pattern, the thoughts themselves were not problems, but allowing himself to become attached to this group could make things very, very messy.

Firelight caught the exsphere on Lloyd's hand as he moved in response to the older man's shuffle and Kratos found himself drawn to question the boy on just what he knew about the subject.

"Your exsphere has an unusual colour." he murmured, gesturing at the boy's hand. He flinched, startled before holding his hand up and comparing it to Kratos'. Where the mercenary's gem was a deep blue, Lloyd's was a deep red, like blood. Considering what he already knew about exspheres' creation, Kratos thought it was probably a morbid irony.

"It does seem to be a little different from yours and the others. By the way, why do you have an Exsphere?"

"…I took one from a Desian. I heard that the Desians force the humans at the ranch to make them."

"So that's why Marble had an Exsphere, too…" the boy mumbled and Kratos nodded in understanding. Genis and Lloyd had filled them in with an extensive amount of detail about the events that had unfolded to get them exiled from the village.

There was still one thing about Lloyd that was gnawing at him though. "…Is it all right if I ask you something as well?" he asked at length.

Lloyd seemed caught off-guard. "Oh…ok, sure."

"Why were you raised by a dwarf?"

"Dad found me collapsed in the forest along with Mom and Noishe. Although, what really happened was that we were attacked by Desians."

…I see. From the sound of that, your father is probably not alive either."

"…probably not." Lloyd shook his head.

--

Raine listened quietly to the two swordsmen as she washed the dishes they had used that night. She knew that in all honesty, she shouldn't eavesdrop, but Kratos was intriguing her more and more by the day and if he was revealing a little something of himself to Lloyd, then it could mean that she had a shot at finding out what he was up to. If there was anything…he might very well turn out to be perfectly trustworthy.

"People are…hopelessly powerless…" She heard him say and couldn't agree more. He had a grasp on the real world at least, realised people's failings meaning that he was down-to-earth. So unlike the boy sitting beside him.

Wiping over the final pan she set it onto the ground for use in the morning before returning to the spot she had picked to sleep in, next to Genis.

Settling herself down, she closed her eyes, preparing to sleep as Kratos took first watch…and she found herself being lulled into that sleep by the strong baritone of his voice.

She cursed her own weakness in her dreams.

--

Kratos stood, shifting away from the dying fire as morning broke over the desert, stretching his back as he did. He had taken the watch all night, finding that the others had been too exhausted after yesterday's battles to help.

It didn't bother him particularly. The chosen needed her sleep after a trying night of twisting and turning in pain, Genis was too young and Lloyd was likely to get distracted and bored very early on in the watch. As for Raine well, she could share the duty tonight if she so wished. She at least was capable and mature enough to handle it.

Noishe awoke at the sound of his movements, uncurling himself and nuzzling against a gloved hand, seeking attention. Kratos scratched the animal behind the ears, the movement absent-minded as he looked over his little entourage.

Colette was lying on her side, grimacing a little still, her eyes open as she looked at the remains of the fire. She looked up at him as he moved towards the fire, stoking it into life with a stick and she gave him a worn smile, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning, Kratos."

He nodded in acknowledgement as he set a brass kettle on top of the fire, pouring a sparing amount of water in.

"Good morning, chosen," he answered eventually, knowing she was waiting for a verbal response "did you rest well?"

"I guess…"

"If you're still tired, there is time for you to rest further. We'll not be moving for an hour or so…it would be beneficial if you need that time…"

"Ah..no…that's ok, I'm fine."

"It's your decision, though you must not exert yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to wake Lloyd."

"Why?"

"Raine and I believe Lloyd may need some training if he is to help protect you on this journey. Though I'm sure he won't agree."

"Does he know?"

"Not yet. But he's about to find out."

With the vaguest hint of a smirk on his lips, Kratos stepped past the chosen, listening to her as she giggled softly before leaning down to shake Lloyd's shoulder.

The boy swiped a hand at him lazily in his now semi-conscious state.

"Go'way dad."

The mercenary bit his lip, his hand frozen at the quiet utterance…before realising that Colette was watching him. Placing his hand on Lloyd's shoulder again he shook him again, a little rougher this time.

"Lloyd, wake up and kindly remember where you are and who you're speaking to."

Brown eyes blinked open slowly, recognition dawning as he focused on Kratos face.

"Ah…" he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly "Sorry, Kratos."

He looked around, then at the dawn before looking back to his soon-to-be teacher, annoyance written over his boyish face.

"What? Why've you woken me up so early?"

"After some discussion yesterday, Raine and I think it prudent that I…take a prominent role in your physical education."

"Huh?" he blinked, once.

"…I'm going to train you in how to become a better swordsman." Kratos stated bluntly. He should've realised that Lloyd would not get his subtlety.

"I don't need training!"

"We think otherwise. Your performance yesterday was decent but you still have much to learn."

"You think you're so…"

"If I attacked the chosen now," Kratos cut in sharply, standing as he did to glare down at Lloyd. "would you be able to stop me and protect her?"

Lloyd didn't answer.

"Well?"

"…probably not."

"And what is your reason for being here?"

"…To protect Colette."

"So will it do you harm to train under my instruction?"

"I…guess not…"

"Very well then. We'll not move from the camp this morning." the older man stated, moving away from where Genis and Raine still slept to a clear patch of ground.

Noishe looked up in interest as Lloyd followed, drawing his swords against the other man.

--

Something was too loud. Something was too light. Something was too warm. Something smelt too good. For all these reasons, and perhaps because of the sand that had somehow managed to collect in her underwear overnight, Raine awoke, sitting up and rubbing her eyes blearily.

Genis was leant over a fire, cooking breakfast as Colette sat beside him, smiling as he made breakfast as she made a pot of tea.

The sharp clang of metal against metal and a flurry of sparks from the other side of the clearing caused all three heads to snap in the direction of the noise.

Kratos had just managed to disarm Lloyd again for the sixth time that morning.

"You need to be aware of your opponent's position, especially if there is more than one. If you cannot locate them, you cannot predict the type of attack they may choose to use and therefore depend against it."

"Ok, Ok, I get it."

"If you 'got it' then I wouldn't be repeating myself. Once more, then we can have breakfast and move off."

Lloyd groaned loudly, pouting childishly as he picked up his blades once again. Breathing deeply, he charged at Kratos.

The rest of the group watched with interest as Kratos calmly deflected the blows without any visible effort on his part. His movements were smooth, unlike the increasingly erratic blows from Lloyd, his counterattacks firm, his body agile as he physically side-stepped Lloyd's latest attack, circling around behind the boy and knocking his feet from beneath him.

The teen landed heavily in the dirt, twisting quickly as his hand latched onto a sword to face Kratos…to find a blade already at his throat.

"You…play dirty." He huffed, glaring at Kratos as the man sheathed his weapon.

"Do you think that someone who genuinely wants you dead will act any fairer?"

"Hmph."

Kratos shook his head. "At the very least, you managed to recover your sword, if a little too late," he wiped a hand across his brow "It's a start."

Lloyd scowled at him again, pushing himself up as he snatched his other sword from the ground, sheathing it.

With the entertainment over, the group assembled around the fire, though Lloyd made it a point to sit as far away from Kratos as possible. The mercenary merely turned his attention to Colette as she hesitantly took her breakfast from Genis as he offered it to her.

He watched her from the corner of his eye as he took a sip of the tea that had been brewed, noticing that she took a few nibbles from the corner of the toast before replacing it on her plate, looking ill. Raine, sitting next to him, jostled, and he slid his eyes over to her, meeting her blue gaze. She had noticed the chosen's behaviour too. The other two members of the group seemed oblivious, but…both were distracted; Genis handing out breakfast, Lloyd continuing his mental torture session of Kratos as he sulked over the earlier defeat.

Deciding it would put undue stress on the girl to bring up the subject he silently took a drink, nodding his thanks to Genis as the boy passed him a slice of toast.

"So…where're we headed now?" Lloyd asked after sometime had passed.

"Izoold," Raine answered smoothly and Kratos let her, knowing that his contribution would only serve to anger Lloyd. "We need to find a ship. Of course that means we have to travel west through the desert and then take the Ossa trail."

"How long will I take? I really want to sail on a ship!" And the enthusiasm was back.

Raine lifted her shoulders in a graceful version of a shrug. "That's largely circumstantial…Kratos?" she deferred to him and his knowledge of the area.

"If we keep up our current pace, we could reach it in a day or so. Two at most, providing no…mishaps, occur." He made sure to keep his eyes off Lloyd as he answered, lest the boy think he was under fire from him again.

"Oh, ok."

They sat eating breakfast quietly for a little while before starting to pack up, cleaning away the signs of their inhabitancy of the area to make it difficult for someone to track them.

Raine quietly took Colette to one side, checking her health away from Lloyd and Genis' curious eyes, asking her in particular, about her appetite. The girl somehow managed to evade answering the question and scurried back to her friends.

Shaking her head, Raine took up her position at the rear of the group whilst Kratos called Lloyd up to the front.

"I want you to take the lead of the group, check for enemies as we're travelling. I trust in your ability to guide us west."

"Sure!" the young man was clearly eager to prove himself to the older man.

"Just remember, though I am here, if something goes awry, it is your responsibility."

Lloyd nodded. "Gotcha."

--

The sun rose steadily, but as the group headed west, away from the seal, they found that the heat didn't lessen any, much to their chagrin.

Lloyd's head was hanging as he trudged at the head of the group, loosening the collar of his heavy shirt., Genis and Colette just behind him sliding out of their outer clothing.

At the back of the group, Kratos and Raine walked on quietly, the latter relying on her staff to keep her footing firm in the sand, her orange travelling coat slung over the top of it, sleeves of her white blouse rolled up to her elbow.

The only person seemingly unaffected by the pressing heat was, as always, Kratos and he hurried his pace, noticing Lloyd's flagging concentration to hand him his water canteen before returning to the rear of the group with Raine. His head still held high despite the thin trickle of sweat running down the side of his face. He wiped it away irritably before giving in and removing the black cape he wore over his shoulders, exposing the clean lines of broad shoulders as he tucked the cape under one of the looser belts about his waist.

Raine looked up, taking in the view as Kratos glanced upwards to check on the rest of the group. The water seemed to revitalise Lloyd a little and his head lifted, causing Genis and Colette to move forwards to talk to him, keeping his motivation up.

"Other than the chosen," Kratos murmured as he looked at the three children "our group doesn't look like one that's on a journey to save the world."

"You still don't trust Lloyd and Genis?" Raine asked quietly, taking a sparing drink from her canteen before looking at it and offering it to Kratos. He shook his head and waved the canteen away, managing to do so in a manner that was not unkind.

"They're much too young to bear the fate of the world. I'm concerned that they will not be able to handle this journey."

Raine considered his point for a moment, not failing to notice that he had started this conversation, not her and that he was expressing some sort of emotion, however vague.

"While I may be an elf, I'm still just a school teacher from a small village. And you're a mercenary who fights for money. I don't think we're fit to handle the task of saving the world, either, wouldn't you agree?"

He made a noise in the back of his throat before agreeing, as if her words had reminded him of his menial position in life.

Falling back into silence again, the group trudged on under the intense heat, heading for the Ossa Trail.

--

The sun was falling out of its position in the sky when they stopped to make camp, the sky darkening steadily into blue. Heat was fading with the light and the pace of the group had picked up towards the end of the day.

As the five settled onto the floor, laying out respective blankets and setting up a fire in a firm, rocky area of the desert, Kratos remarked that they had made good progress, considering the conditions of travel. The other's spirits lifted a little, pleased with having made a good enough distance to impress the mercenary whose standards were so high.

"How far are we from the Ossa Trail now?" Genis asked, sending a fireball into a heap of scrub he had found. It caught flame immediately.

"No more than a few hours travel. The ground is already starting to give way to rock and there are more plants in the area."

"Then Efreets influence over the area must be lessening."

Kratos nodded before turning to Lloyd, flinching his head towards a sheltered area of rocks.

"We should train before we eat."

The boy complained to himself quietly before clambering to his feet and following Kratos out into the mentioned area.

Raine rolled her eyes and smiled as the males walked away, shifting to pull Kratos' cape that he had dropped into the circle of firelight, marking his position among the group,

Their voices drifted over the rocks on the faint wind that was blowing and as Raine let Genis cook dinner, and Colette lay down to nap before the meal, the knowledge of their presence set her mind at ease. She leaned back against a rock, opening a book and skim reading it to pass the time.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow!"

Raine looked up startled, then over to Genis who was just finishing off preparing the meal…how long had she been reading for?

"Let's go ahead and call it a day," the sword of metal rasping informed her that Lloyd was putting his swords away. It would be interesting to see Kratos' response to that…

"Not yet. Draw your sword."

"But I don't have any strength left!"

"If you've got enough left to talk that's plenty."

Raine sniggered a little at the comment, noticing that Genis was listening in too and they shared a glance. It seemed Lloyd was finally being put through his paces enough that he had to actually concentrate. Hopefully, despite his dislike for his teacher, he would find it interesting enough to pay attention. He would have to if he wanted to survive under Kratos' instruction.

"Why are you so rough on me?" Lloyd was whining. Loudly.

"When the time comes, I won't have the leeway to protect you. You must protect yourself."

Now…that was an odd comment. _When _the time comes, not if. Was he expecting something out of the ordinary to happen?

"Heh….that's the spirit," Kratos murmured and she could hear the smirk in his voice as he parried Lloyd's attack, the sounds of clashing swords echoing through the air.

They returned a short while later, Lloyd looking positively exhausted. He accepted his dinner from Genis gratefully, wolfed it down, bid everyone a goodnight and promptly fell dead asleep,

A smirk curled at Kratos' lips again at the boy's behaviour as Genis followed suit. Colette, having only eaten a few mouthfuls of her food, had fallen asleep some time ago,

"She's not eating properly," Raine observed, putting her book into her lap and pulling out another, making a note in it. "I'd heard of there being adverse side effects of an angelic transformation, in fact it's expected but…"

"It's a worrying sign."

"Yes…" she tapped her finger against the book in thought, drawing Kratos' attention to it.

"If I may ask…"

She looked up and he gestured to the book.

"Oh…it's a collection of theories about angels…but I'm annotating it in accordance to what I'm finding with Colette's changing condition."

"I see…ever the researcher then."

"It's…something that comes to me instinctively."

He shifted slightly, meeting her eyes, silently asking for permission to come closer. She granted it, shifting the book so he could see it as he sidled closer until he was inches away from her.

She could smell the subtle scent of him, something earthy coupled with the vaguest hint of male sweat…it was enticing and she found herself shifting to point something out, bringing herself closer to the man. She could feel the heat from his body and she swallowed heavily, focusing on the book instead of the man next to her.

"I'd advise you to keep this away from the children…though I'm certain you were already aware of that," the air between them trembled with the vibrations of his voice. "they'll find it…"

"…distressing." She finished and he turned to look at her, nodding. He suddenly seemed to realise their proximity and pulled away abruptly.

"I…shall go and take first watch."

Raine nodded. "Wake me when you want me to take over."

He gave a motion that said he agreed before heading out into far reaches of the fire light, dark eyes glinting with its light.

Groaning inwardly at the situation she was getting herself into, she turned over, trying to fall asleep, but all too aware of the man on the other side of the camp.

* * *

A.N: Uh...yes, I did borrow a few lines from the ToS animation just so that there was a little speech at the beginning. Uhm not much to say other than hope everyone's still IC and that you're enjoying the fic.

Reviews appreciated as always.


	8. Due to Poor Footing

A.N: Thanks again for all the reviews. I think you know what I'm going to say so I won't bother. And I have again, borrowed a scene from the anime...because I love that scene and if you've seen the anime, you'll know which I mean.

Anyway...

Enjoy!

* * *

Due to Poor Footing

Raine stood, brushing off her coat as she slung it over her shoulder while the group moved out for the day. Despite the fact that the desert was giving way to the mountain trail's rough rock terrain, it was still uncomfortably hot.

Colette had eaten little at breakfast and this time both Lloyd and Genis had noticed as well. Raine had been inclined to take them aside and tell them not to press her about it but she had quickly realised that if she did that, they would start asking questions. She didn't want to have to reveal the truth about the transformation process from human to angel just yet…or at all, for that matter.

Shaking her head she noticed that the group had moved off without her and were now a good few metres away and she trotted to catch up with them, tagging onto the back of the group beside Genis.

Kratos and Lloyd were at the front of the group, discussing some point about swordsmanship. Or rather, Lloyd was making a comment and Kratos was looking rather unimpressed. It may have been the 'two swords make me twice as strong' remark…

She turned her attention to her brother, not wanting to eavesdrop on the males further, and struck up a conversation. Over the past couple of days, she had not had a chance to do so and it was good to finally speak with her relative.

As she spoke with him, she lost track of their surroundings, failing to notice when the wind stopped blowing, the air became cooler, the sand beneath their feet turned fully to stone and grass and great walls of rock rose on both sides above them.

They had stopped once, briefly, after a short attack from a bizarrely overgrown scorpion and for Kratos to shoot a glare at a couple of nearby bandits. Raine noticed as they ran away that one of them had a sword-wound in his abdomen…

So when a female voice, strong and young, commanded 'Stop!" it came as something of a surprise to Raine. Judging from the recoiling reaction and surprised expressions of everyone else, she was not the only one. Save for Kratos, of course, ever vigilant and composed as he was.

"…What?" Lloyd questioned once he had recovered from the initial shock.

"Is she a friend of yours Lloyd?" Colette asked her friend and Raine had to raise a sceptical eyebrow. Lloyd had not been out of the regions of Iselia and its forest for fourteen years. Where he had been before his adoptive father, Dirk, had found him remained unknown but then…after fourteen years, Lloyd would not recognise this woman after that period of time. He wouldn't even remember her. Not to mention that…

Raine reined her thoughts into control. Colette's mind often puzzled her…there was usually little point in trying to gain insight or impress rationality upon it.

"Is the Chosen of Mana among you?" The young woman was pursuing her cause, apparently trying rather desperately to ignore Colette's rather odd reaction to her appearance.

"Oh, that's me." The girl raised a hand, giving a little wave and Raine wondered if the girl had any concept of people having the ability to be malicious.

Golden-brown eyes, obscured by a fringe of raven black hair narrowed, turning on the girl determinedly. Her hand lifted as she turned to face the blonde.

"Prepare to die!"

The young woman rushed towards her victim before anyone had a chance to move. Lloyd was jumping forwards, intending to save Colette, Kratos following suit, pulling his sword free.

Colette herself was pin-wheeling frantically with her arms, falling backwards as she lost balance from the shock of the other girl rushing. Raine found herself unable to do anything in time as the scene unfolded.

There was a low grate of rusty metal then the high pitched squeal of hinges as a black hole appeared beneath the would-be assassin. She seemed to hover comically in mid air for a second before plunging into the darkness below.

A moment later and there was a loud crash, Colette scrambling to her feet to peer worriedly into the hole that the young woman had just fallen down.

"Oh, no! What should I do? I did it again…"

"You don't need to worry about it," Raine soothed, looking over the scene "If she had not fallen in, you might have been killed."

Kratos made a noise in the back of his throat, suggesting her agreed with Raine and she noticed him sliding his sword back into his scabbard, the danger having passed.

Colette didn't seem convinced that she didn't need to concern herself with it, still peering down the hole. Genis and Lloyd were joining her now and Raine was beginning to get a little anxious in case one of them fell in too.

"Even assuming her weight to be forty-five kilograms…" Genis was theorising and Raine realised that she had zoned out on a chunk of their conversation. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, especially when her attention was drawn temporarily to a certain mercenary. She resisted the temptation to look over to him.

"Still, man, she's got some bad luck. Standing right on top of a trapdoor and all." Lloyd was commenting, leaning over the hole.

"It's not a trap. It's a hidden maintenance passage for the mountain path." She corrected, joining the children in looking at the hole, avoiding looking at Kratos.

As such, she missed the fact that he was standing impatiently further up the path.

"We should get moving," he stated and all heads turned towards him.

"Hey uh…shouldn't we try to find out who that woman was?" Lloyd asked his new mentor. At least he was thinking along _some _lines of their safety.

"She'll come after us on her own," Kratos explained, reaching up to rub at his chin thoughtfully as he talked, nails scraping against the slowly darkening stubble that was growing there. "The area is too confined here and the footing is poor. It would be wise not to linger."

Lloyd's narrowed eyes and pursed lips said quite clearly what he thought of the other male's domineering attitude and, as inclined as Raine was to agree with Kratos, considering that he knew what he was talking about, she found the insinuation that she could not handle herself in the area condescending. She hung back, waiting for everyone else to follow him before she tagged onto the end of the group.

--

Raine was following far too slowly for Kratos' liking. It was not a speed brought about by fatigue, it seemed, more that she simply wanted to distance herself from the group,

He called the group to a halt once they had reached the top of the trail, a large plateau stretching out around them and he suggested that they stop for a rest. They did so gratefully; the steep incline and poor footing of the mountain had made the climb difficult for them especially Genis and Colette.

Lloyd was proving to be too stubborn to show off that weakness and Raine had her staff to lean on. Instead of sitting down with the others, she remained standing, just as Kratos himself did. When he looked over to meet her eyes, he encountered a rather hostile glare before she pulled her attention away to speak with the children, ignoring him.

Now what had he done to deserve that? He raked through his memory of the morning and the night before.

It couldn't have been anything he'd done last night. She had been rather casual with him, almost welcoming, especially considering that she was letting him read her research. He was aware that, for Raine, this was no meagre act, her researching was a big part of her life, who she was. In fact, she had let him come _very _close to her, so much in fact that he had been able to feel the heat that she emitted, been able to smell that scent of leaves that, somehow, surrounded her. She had let him come a little _too _close for his own comfort, once he had realised just how close he had been to her. It had been a while since he'd been in the presence of a woman he found physically attractive, as well as one whose nature appealed to him…but he had assured himself that he was absolutely _not _going to let himself get involved with her…So why was he so concerned about what he had done to offend her?

'_It'll create an uncomfortable atmosphere to travel in, place suspicion on me as the outsider, and I need them to trust me if I'm to successfully accompany the chosen to the tower.'_

And that was, of course, all it was.

Yet, he found himself running through the thoughts of that morning again. He had greeted her at breakfast, but hadn't spoken to her for the rest of the day so far. He'd assumed that she'd want some alone time with her brother and judging from the way they had spoken all morning, she had. The only thing that came to mind was the incident with the would-be assassin. He had agreed with her over not worrying over the state of the girl having fallen down the pit, and she had looked to him when he had let a noise escape his throat. There had been no annoyance then. He had only said one thing after that…

'"_The area is too confined here and the footing is poor. It would be wise not to linger."'_

Had she thought there'd been an insinuation towards her at that comment? Had it been the self-confident way he had stated the facts? How would that offend?

But then…a friend of his had once told him that his own self-confidence often appeared to be arrogance to everyone else and that it gave him a sense of thinking everyone else was inadequate.

Which they often were, he had had to point out and….oh. Now that was it, wasn't it?

He let his head fall a little as he thought about it, garnet gaze turning on Raine who was staring determinedly in the opposite direction from him.

He turned away after a moment. There was nothing he could do for the moment…or at least nothing that he would do with the children present. He would look for an opportunity to speak with her later.

They waited in awkward silence for the children to get their breath back before they descended the mountain. Gravel slid beneath their feet as they headed down the steep slopes, Lloyd, Genis and Colette hanging on for each other for support whilst the adults trailed behind, Raine purposefully walking over the other edge of the path they were making their way down.

As such, it was inevitable that one of them would slip and be in danger of falling to their certain death. Kratos being Kratos of course, it would never be him. Therefore, it was as they were heading down a particularly steep part of the track with no outer wall that Raine's staff slid and she stumbled, loosing her footing, falling for the outer lip of the track.

By a combination of luck and strategic positioning, it was Kratos who caught Raine by the arm as her feet were thrust into midair, his hand closing around her bicep and pulling her back towards him.

Raine found herself suddenly pulled against the solid warmth of Kratos' torso his left hand on her right arm, her mind racing to register just how she was in this position, staring up into Kratos' face. Something flickered in his eyes for a split second, so fast that she couldn't name it and then he was letting go of her arm, moving away to a suitable distance and taking his heat with him.

"I guess…" Raine breathed trying to find something to say to cover for her shock, looking to Genis who was staring at her worriedly. She looked back to Kratos, embarrassed "that the footing here is poor."

A vague hint of a smile quirked the corner of Kratos' mouth, though he didn't respond to it. She would have thought he'd be angry at her clumsiness, but in actuality seemed more concerned than anything.

"Raine are you ok?" Genis was offering her staff to her. She took it, trembling slightly.

"Uh, yes, I'm fine…we should get moving again."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Remaining here won't help anything."

She set off again before anyone could make further comment, heading down the slope a little more slowly now, watching out for patches of smooth rock that she might slip on.

The feeling of Kratos' warm hand lingered on her arm and she found herself wishing to drop back and walk beside him as she was becoming accustomed to. She refused to give into that want however. She was still angry at his earlier comment though she had made a joke out of it. She couldn't shake that feeling of pride though, that she had managed to get him to smile. It was she who had made this cold and stoic man smirk with amusement, if only a hint. From him, that was a big gesture and as she glanced behind herself to where he was walking, she met his eyes.

He held her gaze for a moment before diverting his attention and she smiled inwardly. At least, it seemed, she was getting to him as much as he was getting to her. He knew that he had slipped up when he had offered that smirk to her as well as when he had held her too close and too tightly after she had almost fallen.

The situation was getting interesting.

--

It was heading for late afternoon when the Chosen's group finally reached the final area of the trail and they did so with relief. The ground had flattened out completely and grass was beginning to take over from stone once again and they slowed their pace as they entered the area, a large wooden wall on their right.

A dull thud from behind it made them all stop and turn to look at it cautiously, Kratos' right hand falling to his sword's hilt immediately.

Seconds later the wooden blockade was falling forwards and Lloyd jumped back as it fell to the floor, splintering at his feet. The dust settled slowly, leaving the group to wonder what had caused the fall when their answer was suddenly given.

There, in the entrance to the mines, covered in dirt, her black hair dusty, was the assassin that had tried to kill Colette earlier. She was panting heavily and trembling.

"W…wait!" she commanded.

"…wow…she caught up with us." Lloyd seemed a little impressed by the occurrence, obviously not paying attention to this potentially lethal development.

"Oh, thank goodness." Colette stepped forwards, heading for the assassin and Kratos shook his head a little, eyes still watching intently.

"D…don't move!"

"A wise decision." Raine quipped sarcastically as the girl rose to her feet. Kratos looked over to Raine appreciatively at her comment, but remained silent.

"…I won't be caught off guard this time. Prepare to die!"

"Get ready!" Kratos warned as the girl rushed for Colette. The girl stumbled backwards, falling and it was only Lloyd jumping in the woman's path and using his swords as a guard that stopped her from achieving her goal.

Kratos wrenched his sword free of its scabbard and ran for the assassin, intending to get a blow in whilst she was still floundering from Lloyd's swipe towards her as he defended his friend. Yet somehow, she knew he was coming and a second later, another cloud erupted, a bird like figure appearing in the smoke.

It was taller than Kratos himself, with a feathered human torso and arms, its hands tipped with ridiculously long talons. A large wheel was attached to the creature's back and as it screeched at him and turned its back on him in an attack, he saw the symbols adorning the outside edge of the wheel, the large red face carved in the middle.

Somewhere in his mind, a memory sparked into life, pushed aside a moment later by the need to defend himself.

His blade snapped up within seconds of registering the attack, smashing talons away as they descended towards him, sending the creature hurling to the side.

From the corner of his eye he saw Lloyd charging for the girl, blades swiping at her, Colette pulling out her chakram to aid him in the fight. Genis was somewhere around the edge of the battle, he guessed, casting spells. He was proved right when a flurry of fireballs shot past his head, threatening to singe the tips of his hair as they sailed past.

He would've taken the opportunity to note Raine's position as well, were it not for the rather pressing issue of the bird-like creature rising up in front of him again. Lloyd had seen it too and was running for it, leaving Colette to defend herself against the other woman.

The boy had no idea of how to operate in battle as part of a large team and if continued to recklessly attack anything that moved, it was going to cause problems.

"Lloyd! Focus on one enemy!" He called to the boy, hacking into the arm of the bird-creature as it took a swipe at the boy, distracting it.

Distantly, he heard a cry from Raine, and something green flashed behind him. He assumed she had just cast a barrier over the chosen and he was suddenly aware of how grateful he should be to have someone who could focus and contribute positively to this battle.

Leaving Raine to protect Colette he guided the boy standing beside him now, calling to Genis for him to aid Colette whilst he and Lloyd took on the creature.

Under his instruction the boy seemed to flourish, cutting down the enemy quickly, leaving only the girl. She looked uncertain now, faced with five enemies and no backup she stumbled before regaining control of herself, mumbling.

"…zuho…" hit Kratos' ears and he tilted his head, wondering if he had heard right.

Amber eyes glared up at the group and she pulled out a flimsy looking card from beneath the folds of her open fronted tunic, holding it up. Somehow, Kratos thought, it was going to be a lot more dangerous than it looked.

Lloyd, on the other hand, seemed not to realise that and he charged for her again as the remainder of the group hung back, hesitating with uncertainty.

The girl was more than he bargained for it seemed, as she slammed the card into his chest with two fingers.

"Pyre seal!"

The card burst into flames a second later, the force of the explosion blowing Lloyd backwards. His back slammed into a rock and he slid to the floor, looking up at the girl wearily. The assassin turned her gaze to Colette, taking a step forwards and Kratos suddenly kicked into life, running into the space between them, protecting the girl. His hand was on the hilt of his sword that he had sheathed whilst Lloyd had taken on the woman himself and as he ran for her, he wrenched it free once more. The girl reared back, realising his move to late, gasping in pain as the pommel of his sword slammed into the vulnerable flesh of her stomach, winding her.

Wheezing, she tried desperately to draw in air, failing when his boot was thrust into her midriff, driving out any remaining air that may have been present in her lungs.

She panicked, and Kratos stood firmly, preparing a spell when she flipped away, trying to gain some distance between the two of them. Her hand was extended from a body as soon as she had landed, the other held out to the side as cards appeared encircling her smoothly, beginning to charge with power.

Rivulets of lightening shot through the cards, singeing and destroying them in front of her as a shadow swept over her from above. She rummaged in her tunic, trying to find a card, bringing it out just in time as she spun to face her attacker…when pain exploded in her jaw and she fell back, hitting the earth hard, tasting blood in her mouth.

Something cool was pressed against her throat and she looked down, following the line of the silver blade at her throat up to its owner, meeting hard garnet eyes. They narrowed at her and she could feel the pressure increasing slightly. She had failed in her mission….unless…

She kicked up suddenly, catching the blade just enough with her foot to roll out of the way, away from the man who was threatening her. Oddly, he didn't seem too concerned about her escape from him, as if he had let it happen.

"Ugh…" the sound forced itself from her throat as she clambered to her feet. "…Just you wait," her eyes met his before she scanned the rest of the group "…I swear I will kill you all next time!"

Kratos watched as the girl disappeared, not feeling any inclination to stop her. She wasn't that much of a threat if he could unarm her without even drawing his sword fully.

Lloyd had already ran to the spot she had disappeared from calling out "Wait!" but to no avail. He turned to look at the rest of his group in confusion.

"Why are people trying to kill us?"

"There are always those that reject salvation." Kratos answered smoothly, noting Raine raising an eyebrow at his response. He couldn't blame her….the answer was hardly satisfactory but at the very least it was enough to satisfy Lloyd for the moment and that was all he was aiming for.

"Maybe she's a Desian?" Genis suggested, looking to his sister thoughtfully. Kratos shrugged.

"Who knows? At any rate, we are in constant danger. That's all we have to know."

"Those clothes…" Raine murmured to herself.

So, she had noticed them too.

"It's nothing, let's go." She shook her head at Lloyd's questioning glance and he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, let's go look for a place where we can get a ship."

--

The hard rocky paths of the Ossa mountains gave way quickly to green plains that stretched for miles in every direction.

With the desert and the trail behind them, the group headed for the small coastal village of Izoold. It took a matter of mere hours to reach the peaceful little town, with only one encounter with a group of…killer mushrooms on the way and though the thought of the assassin weighed heavily on each member of the parties minds, the smell of fresh salt air brought them some peace.

Except for Raine, who seemed apprehensive to even enter the little village.

With the professor showing nervousness at the thought of crossing and the fatigue of the day's travelling and fighting settling in, Kratos steered the group towards the inn. It was only late afternoon, they could easily have made it across to the next continent but perhaps it would be best to let them rest in the calm atmosphere of the tranquil settlement.

Nothing was hurried here, there was no threat of Desians and the cool salt air refreshed the mind. Yes, it would do the tiring group good to settle here for the remainder of the day.

"So…when do we go find the ship?" Lloyd asked, flopping onto one of the bed's in one of the three rooms they'd rented.

"Tomorrow morning," Kratos informed him, pulling out a chair before stepping away. Raine settled into a moment later and the two looked at each other in confusion over the subconscious action. Kratos looked away first and cleared his throat. "This village offers a good opportunity to rest, we may as well use it." He finished, looking at Lloyd.

The teen nodded, settling back onto the bed, arms beneath his head. "Sounds good to me."

Kratos merely gave a non-committal noise from the back of his throat as a response, looking over the room's occupants.

Raine was leaning against the table, already pulling out a book to read. Lloyd was collapsed and looked like he wouldn't be moved for some hours and Colette was looking out of the window, speaking to the dog that sat below it.

"Hello…I think I'll call you Bob…"

Kratos had to remove his gaze from her before he lost all faith in the intelligence of humanity and ended up meeting the steady ice blue gaze of Genis.

The look it held was both questioning and trusting and Kratos excused himself from the room a moment later under the pretence of buying supplies for tomorrow. The young elf followed him.

"Is there a problem, Genis?" the mercenary asked as the boy followed him from the inn. The two of them hadn't spoken, but from what Kratos had gleaned from him, he was intelligent and mature, like his sister.

"No…just wanted to come along. Lloyd's flat out, Colette's talking to a dog and Raine's reading. And I do _not _want to interrupt her. She's scary when she's mad."

Kratos let out a slight snort of amusement. "Very well, you can accompany me if you so wish."

Genis nodded and trotted up alongside the other male, alarmingly small compared to the mercenary's impressive stature.

"So…how come you're training Lloyd?" he asked after a moment, clearly wanting to start a conversation.

"Your sister and I thought it prudent. Lloyd's fighting style is…somewhat unrefined."

Genis laughed good-naturedly. "You're not kidding…but…"

"But?"

"I know you're really strong and everything but sword fighting is well, it's Lloyd's only redeeming feature so.."

"I wouldn't say it's his _only _redeeming feature."

"Oh?" the elf prodded and Kratos wondered inwardly if this was some plan to get him to go easy on Lloyd. He gave him the answer anyway.

"Lloyd may have many flaws, not least his attitude, but it's easy to see that he is a strong person at heart. His friendship for you is true and his ideals are admirable if childish."

"He still hasn't grown up…"

"He will, in time. Perhaps this journey will force him to do so."

"Is it right for him to be forced into growing up?"

"Whether it's right or wrong it will have to occur one way or another."

"I guess…"

They walked towards the local market in silence, mulling over their thoughts as Kratos bought a few apple gels and ingredients for the journey.

"So…how are finding the journey so far?" Genis asked as Kratos took the brown paper bag from the market stall owner.

The mercenary lifted an eyebrow. "It's fine...though I would have thought I would be enquiring that of you."

Genis shrugged. "I'm with friends and family. You're stuck travelling with people you barely know."

"In my line of work, you meet many people. It is not a problem."

"I guess…"

"If it's my thoughts on the company that is troubling you, then I assure you there is no problem. None of you prove to be a problem."

"Not even Raine?"

And there it was.

"No. Should she be?"

"Well it's just that most people find her either intimidating or annoying."

"I see. Well, I find her to be neither…she's offered rather pleasant company so far. I hold her in high regard."

"Really?"

"Yes. Is that so hard to believe."

"No I just…nevermind."

Kratos glanced suspiciously at the boy for a moment before deciding to let the issue go as they headed back to the inn. As they entered the main area of the village they saw Lloyd head out towards them, looking around the village with an expression of mild interest. His expression brightened when he saw the two other males.

"Hey guys! I was wondering where you were," he jogged over to them "did you find any ships we can travel on?"

Kratos was about to answer that they hadn't enquired when a man who had just walked past them turned and answered.

"There aren't any passenger ships running. It's too dangerous. I got here only by getting a ride on a boat from a guy named Aifread."

'_Does no one in sylvarant refrain from eavesdropping?' _Kratos mused as Lloyd questioned the man,

"Aifread? No, he's not here anymore. He said he was going back to his hometown."

"Any idea how we can get across the sea?"

"You…could try the girl in there," he pointed to a house "she's pretty involved with some of the sailors so she might be able to get you a ride."

"Thanks."

Lloyd turned away to face Kratos and Genis. "It's worth a shot right?"

"Well, as we have no other option right now, we may as well try. If we cannot go by ship the only way to travel to the next continent is by going over the mountain ranges east of here and that will take many weeks to complete."

"Ok so we ask this girl."

The teen turned away, leading the other males into the house that had just been pointed out to them. Rapping on the door quietly, they made their way inside, finding a girl staring thoughtfully out of the window, murmuring to herself.

--

Raine looked up as her male companions entered the main one of their stay rooms at the inn. Lloyd and Genis looked positively delighted with themselves, whilst Kratos looked mildly less stern-faced than usual.

Colette sat up to look at the men as they entered.

"We've got a ship!" Lloyd exclaimed loudly as the womens' eyes fell on him. "This guy called Max is going to take us to Palmacosta tomorrow morning. We have to give this letter to a guy called Aifread if we see him but, hey, at least we've got a way across now."

The scholar looked out of the window to the deep blue ocean waves that were rolling onto the beach. She felt sick just thinking about it.

Kratos stepped forwards, placing a brown paper bag on the table as he slid into a chair perpendicular from where she sat.

"Under the circumstances, I think it would probably be best for us to get an early night. The sailor seems like the type to rise early and we won't want to keep him waiting."

"We have to go to bed, _now_?" Lloyd complained "It's barely 6 o'clock!"

"I didn't say now, just earlier than usual. You're a very late riser, getting to sleep earlier may help you wake earlier."

"So we can have dinner first, right?"

"Yes, and then I want to train you briefly."

Lloyd nodded sulkily before looking towards the door. "Can we go for dinner now?"

"If it's ready." Kratos nodded, watching as the boy grinned and tore from the room, dragging a considerably less enthusiastic Genis behind him. Colette rose and followed them slowly, looking anxious.

"She still hasn't eaten properly since the last seal." Raine commented once the girl was out of ear-shot.

"She seems well enough despite that though…perhaps it's merely a side-effect of the transformation as you theorised."

"Perhaps…"

"At any rate, it would be a good idea to go and keep an eye on her for the moment."

Raine nodded in agreement, pushing herself up from her chair and brushing herself down and asking;

"So, will you accompany a lady to dinner?"

It was a simple enough question, and not one that held any particularly deep meaning and not one that necessarily hinted at any sort of courting ritual. And yet with that bland inquiry, Raine had inadvertently revealed a lot more about her thoughts on Kratos than she had wanted to.

Kratos, for once, looked surprised, dark eyebrows lifted and eyes widened a fraction. To her credit, Raine managed to keep her head held up and her gaze level with the man's if not keep the blush from staining her cheeks. She turned on her heel casually and strolled out of the room, not bothering to wait for the man's answer.

The mercenary stared after her for a moment, shaking his head before following her from the room, a faint smile playing over his lips. So, the teacher was interested…this could get interesting…

He mentally smacked himself a moment later. He was not on this journey to make friends…of any kind, never mind friends with 'privileges' and it wouldn't do for him to become distracted from his job by a personal interest.

Besides after his last, painfully ended relationship, he wasn't sure if he could bear to go down that road again. Wasn't sure whether he _wanted _to.

He looked up at Lloyd as he entered the room, the boy already tucked into a bowl of meaty stew and something twisted as he stared at the boy, reminding him of all he had lost.

--

'_Why …did I do that?' _Raine thought as Kratos settled into a chair across from her, next to Lloyd. The boy glanced up at the man before returning to the bowl of stew, catching sight of Colette out of the corner of his eye. Raine and Kratos followed his gaze. Colette had taken what looked like a few forkfuls of salad and had ceased eating.

"Are you ok, Colette?"

She looked up sharply and smiled. "Yes I'm fine, thanks Lloyd." She stabbed a green pepper viscously and popped it into her mouth.

Lloyd frowned but didn't say anything, returning to his meal whilst casting furtive glances at Colette. Raine, knowing that she couldn't do anything for the girl, returned to her own thoughts, idly watching Kratos eating his meal of tuna pasta bake. This was only the second time in the week or so that she'd really seen him eat and she noticed that he flicked the tomatoes in the salad garnish away, allowing Genis to take one from his plate.

His eyes flicked up to meet hers as he noticed her eyes linger on him a little too long as he ate. She slowly averted her gaze, trying to act casual. As if she hadn't blown it earlier.

There hadn't been any invitation for her to act like that, no sign of interest from him for her to react to and yet it had come out purely on a whim. That was hopefully, the only time though, and whilst she would _finally _admit that she was maybe a little interested in him…it wasn't reciprocated. Except for that moment in the Triet desert when he had sidled closer, to look at the book, she had to remind herself, and saving her that morning, which was purely part of his job, he had made no signs of thinking of her as anything more than just a comrade.

Oh…and he had complimented her in the Triet ruins after releasing the seal. But that was all.

Still, it had been nice to see that expression of surprise on his usually stoic features and even nicer to know that she could get a reaction other than condescension out of him.

As the group finished their meals, she watched Kratos lead Lloyd outside to train as Colette headed back to her room. Raine tipped the girl cleaning the table and returned to her bedroom, starting when she found Genis leaning against their bedroom door, grinning conspiritually as he slipped inside.

* * *

And there it is. I really hope that the whole 'Raine asking Kratos to dinner' thing fit in well and wasn't well...sorry to repeat but, out of character. Um...and that's really all I have to say on this chapter. Hope you enjoyed reading it.

Please review :)


	9. Reminders

A.N: Long chapter, even by my standards, just to give you warning. Thanks again for reviews.

Enjoy!

* * *

Reminders

It took longer than Raine would have liked to get Genis to go to bed that night, having had to fight off a barrage of questions of what she thought about Kratos and more importantly, would she like to know what he thought of her.

Raine had informed her brother that she was quite capable of finding that out on her own…and yet as she dressed the next morning, she wondered whether she should have let him tell her. After all…she had admitted to herself that she found the man interesting, what harm could it do to know what he thought about her?

A lot, if he gave the answer she didn't want to her. But then, Genis wouldn't have been giving her that conspiritual grin if the answer was bad.

She looked out of the window as she pulled her orange travelling coat on. It had been far too long since she'd been romantically involved with someone and he was damn near what she was looking for in a partner…though, she maybe would've liked a bit more warmth but then, Kratos seemed like the type of man who would only give you 'warmth' if you worked for it.

It wasn't a particularly good idea though…to get involved with him. His nomadic lifestyle meant that a relationship was out of the question, really and she, at the very least, didn't want to settle down to keep someone around anyway. She had 1000 years ahead of her which she could do that with.

Sighing, she combed her hair into place. Whatever happened, happened…relationship or not…but, as she headed out the door to meet the rest of the group, she wondered if she really needed a full relationship.

Her eyes slid over Kratos' form briefly as she greeted and was greeted in return, the mercenary nodding to her, eyes a little softer than usual, face not quite so stern.

He snapped his attention to Lloyd when the boy suggested they get the day started, and with a nod, the mercenary agreed, letting the boy lead the way to the shoddy docks on the other side of the village.

Raine followed at a slower pace, trailing behind the rest of the group, dreading the trip ahead. Just the smell of salt water made her want to retch, the sight of those churning blue waves in the distance churning her stomach. When she heard the dull thud of boots striking wood, her stomach gave another lurch and she cast her eyes over the dock worriedly, wondering what kind of vessel they would be sailing in exactly. Seeing a rather large, sturdy looking ship she assumed it was this and headed for it, before feeling a hand tug at her arm. She looked down to see Genis, pointing down a different pier to a tiny tub-boat.

Gulping, she followed him down unenthusiastically, casting a critical eye over the tub. It was barely big enough to hold the five of them, six including the captain. The white sail, rippling softly in its un-mast state, seemed torn about the edges and the wood on the hull of the ship looked like it wasn't far off rotting.

'_This is the only ship they could find? Are they trying to kill us all?'_

"Are you ready?" The owner of the ship was asking and Raine felt like screaming a definite 'no!' at him. Unfortunately, they didn't really have any other option.

Lloyd on the other hand, was nodding enthusiastically, grinning at the idea of sailing, Genis and Colette looking equally excited. Kratos, as ever, stood watch over the children, his mouth set in a slightly down turned line as he looked over the ship himself. Apparently, he wasn't over enthusiastic either, but then, when was he ever?

Slowly, Lloyd walked up the boards, climbing onto the ship, Genis, Colette and Kratos in tow. Eventually, Raine was left standing on the harbour, looking at the ship doubtfully. She could just about feel herself shaking at the thought of climbing aboard.

Kratos stood by the plank, just out of the way of the entrance and with, mouth set in a firm line, held out his hand to help her board the ship. She took it hesitantly after a moment, feeling his warm, calloused fingers wrap about her own small hand as he pulled her up onto the ship.

"Now we can finally go to the next seal!" Lloyd stated, making his way to the front of the boat, Colette, agreeing quietly.

Raine stepped forwards, past the rising sail. "I was afraid this journey would force me on a boat sooner or later…"

She sank to her knees a moment later, closing her eyes trying to forget her surroundings, feeling a presence just left of her shoulder. Kratos. He had remained at the back of the group with her, once again, when he probably would have preferred to be at the front.

The ship rocked unsteadily as wind caught in the sail, billowing it out with a worrying snap. They had barely slipped past the wooden decking of the docks when Genis grinned, hopping up and down a little as he lifted his face into the cool wind.

"We're at sea! We're at sea!"

"Don't remind me." Raine muttered, too quietly for anyone to hear…or so she thought, but she thought she heard a 'humph' from the man towering over her.

"Settle down," Lloyd scolded, placing a hand on the younger boys shoulder "this thing's tiny. Do you want to fall out?"

"Gee, I'm so sorry my ship is too "tiny" for you!" the captain sniped, clearly insulted.

"I'm gonna fall!" Colette shrieked, pin-wheeling madly and it was only Lloyd grabbing her that stopped her from plunging into the water.

The adults rolled their eyes simultaneously.

--

Kratos glanced down at Raine, sitting at his feet, as they crossed the channel of water, heading for the city of Palmacosta. She had been quiet for much of the journey and had heard her comments about her hatred for being at sea or on boats. He could only assume from that that she didn't like water…a strange affectation for a person, he thought, to be scared of the thing that is the most important substance for the body. But then, he supposed everyone had their irrationalities…he'd just assumed the love of ruins was hers, not this. Perhaps, being her, she was entitled to more than one?

Lifting his head, he looked out over the expanse of sea left, noticing that they were only a little way off shore now, the fine buildings of Palmacosta coming into view.

Before long, the sail was lowered behind him and Kratos felt the soft wind strike his back as the boat coasted into the docks ahead of them. Looking around at the rest of the group he stepped off immediately, not wanting to waste another second here. They had to reach the next seal and quickly.

Turning he watched as Raine practically bolted off the ship, the rest of the group following at a more casual pace as Lloyd briefly discussed Max's return to Izoold with him.

"Ok, let's go look for clues about the next seal."

With all companions in agreement, they turned and headed into the centre of the coastal town, looking at all the wares on sale as they passed through the colourful market and Kratos had to guide Lloyd away from a stall of swords rather forcefully as Raine pulled Colette away from a stall full of brightly coloured jewellery.

The children were looking around with interest, and Kratos noticed that even Raine's attention seemed to have been captured despite her pragmatic demeanour. He reminded himself that they had probably all never been to a city before, and that the atmosphere was rather different from that of any of the places they had been so far. It was good for them to gain experience of this and so Kratos left them to it, staying silent as Lloyd and Colette in particular looked around in wonder…so long as they didn't get dragged into buying anything they didn't need there was little harm. Even the buildings were interesting them, the tall, precisely constructed grey brick buildings with their intricate architecture again a new sight for them. So much more advanced than the small wooden huts of Iselia, the sandstone blocks of Triet and the shacks of Izoold. In fact now that Kratos thought about it, this was the probably the first town they had set foot in so far that had paved streets and drainage.

As they left the marketplace, they entered into the main areas of Triet, a tall building on their right that Kratos knew was an inn blocked their view of the right pathway. As such, Colette and Lloyd walked straight out into the street, the former colliding with another, slightly older girl.

He sighed inwardly…would her clumsiness never cease?

The sound of shattering glass hit his ears and he looked at the situation in more detail, noticing the broken bottle shards scattered over the floor, pink liquid oozing between the shards.

"Owww! What did you do that for?!" The woman was complaining, rubbing her back as she and Colette climbed to their feet.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Colette was wringing her hands embarrassedly as the woman turned and shrieked.

"Ahh! The Palma Potion that we just received!"

"Hey Lady!" The man stepping forwards to challenge Colette was badly dressed to say the least, his large pot-belly bulging over his trousers, restrained only by the armour he wore. Kratos' hand fell to his sword surreptitiously, watching the man for any threatening movements. His eyes roved over the rest of the group briefly…there were four of them, dressed in battle-costume type wear…this sword user, a young girl, a magic user and…another other one who didn't seem to be anything in particular. Considering their group dynamics and unusual clothing, they were not all together unlike his own little group. The thought made him frown and he looked over them for anything else suspicious.

Whether there was any was difficult to say for at that moment, the two groups came to an agreement. Kratos supposed that Colette had offered to replace the potion but…it was expensive and they had little money themselves.

Nevertheless, they turned away, heading for the shops to their left, over the bridge. After trying the first one and being told they had sold out, they looked into the second shop. It seemed smaller…homier like a shop that you would expect to find oddities in.

The words 'Marble's Items' hung over the door. A family run business most likely. Lloyd opened the door and stepped inside, looking back at Colette and the other's as they entered before turning to look where he was going.

"Oh, please! There's no way anyone would sell those to you at a price that low!" A young woman, coppery-brown hair tied back into a ponytail was complaining loudly to the two Desians standing in front of the counter.

"You should be thankful that we're even willing to spend money for goods from a rundown shack like this." The Desian sneered, running a hand across the whip he carried.

"I don't need to hear that from a bunch of filthy Desians!" So…the girl had a backbone, but not much sense. Not unlike Lloyd. The woman standing across the other side of the room scolded the younger softly.

"But Mom, these are the same monsters that took Grandma away…"

The Desian sneered again, threatening the girl quietly.

"Just try it! As long as Governor-General Dorr is around, we'll never submit to the like of you!" She snapped, looking a little triumphant as the soldier lost his temper.

"Why you little…" he raised his whip, and credit where it was due, the girl didn't even flinch.

"Stop," The other Desian cautioned "Stop! We'll exceed our quota for this year. We need permission from Lord Magnius to go any further."

Magius….the name sounded familiar…

The Desian soldier snapped another warning at the girl before turning, pushing his way through the audience who averted their gazes uncomfortably…except for Lloyd and Kratos, who met their faces squarely as they left. The girl excused herself after a moment to leave for her job as her mother bid her potential customers relax and look around the shop.

Despite the shopkeeper's words however, the group remained tense, quickly bought the potion and left to give the replacement potion to the awaiting group.

"All right then. Looks like you're good little boys and girls after all. Just make sure you learn your lesson and don't mess with us again." The leader sneered as the bottle was handed over. Raine and Kratos narrowed their eyes at the insinuation that they were still children…either that or completely invisible. It was quite obvious that the two members of the group, standing at the back were probably older than most of these people themselves.

"Come on, we're leaving." The second woman, dressed in blue, motioned for the rest to leave.

"I have to say, that Governor-General Dorr sure was trusting. It's hard to believe he just gave us his family treasure like that."

The words the other woman was speaking were obviously not meant for the Chosen's group and yet they didn't seem particularly bothered about keeping their voices down. Which was rather stupid, considering the townsfolk adored Dorr.

"So what are we going to do with that, anyway?" The second, portly man was asking.

"You're an idiot," the leader hissed. "We don't have any use for that thing. We're just going to sell it to that geezer on Hakonesia Peak who collects old junk."

The women who had bumped into Colette rolled her eyes, calling the men away and they left the scene without further fuss.

"…Those guys kinda piss me off." Lloyd grumbled, turning away to look at rest of the group. Kratos lifted an eyebrow at the younger man's language whilst Raine scolded him heavily.

"Ok, ok, sorry."

Shaking her head, Raine suggested that they try to find this Governor- General Dorr that everyone spoke of so highly and Lloyd nodded, leading the way to the area of town that housed department buildings, seeming to know instinctively where they were.

Over the wide bridge ahead was a large courtyard like area, an assortment of people, townsfolk, soldiers, sailors and clergy members went about their business. Standing near the building was a tall blonde man, a small, blonde girl standing by his side as he spoke to a young boy.

As the group approached, they caught wind of the conversation, gathering that the boy's father had been taken away to the regional human ranch. The man was promising that he would rescue the people at the ranch, the girl by his side reassuring the boy of his father's wellbeing.

The boy smiled, promising he'd wait for his dad to return and with a similar, reassuring smile, the man turned away, sending the boy off to play whilst calling his daughter, Kilia away with him.

"Who was that?" Lloyd questioned as the father and daughter headed off, prompting an elderly gentleman to turn and answer.

"Governor-General Dorr. He's recruiting soldiers and resisting the Desians. He's a wonderful man."

Lloyd nodded thoughtfully as a nearby woman joined in with the explanation. Kratos zoned out, already aware of who Dorr was and of his position within town, his reputation. And again, did _anybody _in Sylvarant not eavesdrop?

"That Dorr person must be a great man." Lloyd murmured when the man and woman had moved away.

"We should see him about clues for the next seal." Raine suggested

The group headed for the building on their left, passing through high columns to the dark double doors, glancing to the soldiers flanking the doors. When they remained silent, they made their way inside.

Dorr, standing at the head of the two tables that occupied the room looked up from his work as the door opened, looking pleased to see the group entering. He smiled at them.

"Greetings, travellers! We welcome travellers, as per the teachings of Martel. May the blessing of Martel be upon those who journey. By the way, may I ask where you have come from? Are you on a pilgrimage for Martel?"

"Ah, we came from Iselia. We're on the journey for world regeneration." Lloyd answered, clearly somewhat stupefied by the man's brisk greeting to them.

"…world regeneration?"

Kratos resisted the urge to say something sarcastic in response to the man's questioning tone. Had he not heard of the journey? Well, that was impossible.

"Colette here is the Chosen of Mana. The Tower of Salvation appeared, right?" Genis replied, somewhat slowly as if the man were a small, imbecilic child. It was a view Kratos was sharing currently.

"…Are you saying that you are the Chosen?" He tilted his head now, gaze and tone suspicious.

"Ah, um, yes. It seems that way, anyway." Colette seemed nervous under the man's scrutiny, his suddenly cold, disbelieving tone.

The man standing next to Dorr, shorter with dark black-blue hair, and a thin pointed face spoke his superior's title warningly.

"Yes… " Dorr nodded to him in understanding before turning a suddenly angry gaze on the group. "The Chosen was just here moments ago! How dare you defile that name! These despicable criminals must be arrested and turned over to the church at once!"

Kratos' hand was on the hilt of his sword within seconds, as he turned to see armoured guards blocking their exit. Distantly he registered a dull thud as Colette fell over once again, warm pink light spilling over the walls. He glanced back to see that her wings had pulled out, probably instinctively in an attempt to balance her.

"Wow! Father, did you see?!" The excited voice of a young girl, Dorr's daughter, cut through the tense silence of the room. "She has wings! She's like an angel! They're beautiful!"

The other man in the room, Dorr's second in command was calling for the soldiers to back off. The Chosen's wings were essentially an all-access-pass to dangerous situations it seemed.

Relaxing the grip on his sword he turned to look back at Dorr. The other man was apologising profusely, Colette trying to allay his nervous apologies.

Dorr on the other hand looked confused and troubled.

"But this means… The Chosen we gave the Book of Regeneration to was an impostor?!"

Lloyd looked utterly confused as he inquired as to just what the book was.

"The Book of Regeneration is a record of Spiritua's journey," Neil explained "It is the only document containing detailed records of the world regeneration, and it is a precious heirloom passed down through the generations of Governor-Generals of Palmacosta."

If he was the only one who was suddenly very angry at Dorr and his immense stupidity, Kratos would be surprised. Raine looked particularly upset, though that may well be because she now wouldn't get to study an ancient artefact.

"That's it! With that, we won't have any trouble finding the seals!" Genis smirked…and his face fell a second later when the complications set in.

"And you say you handed over this invaluable book to a random person claiming to be "The Chosen"?" She scowled darkly "…Unbelievable."

She folded her arms, shaking her head and glancing at Kratos, meeting his dark eyes with her light blue gaze, the expression matching his exactly.

"Of course!" Lloyd clicked his fingers, turning back to the group "It must be those guys that were giving us trouble earlier!"

Neil explained that with news of the Chosen heading their way, the Palmacosta government had just naturally assumed that the impostors were, in fact, the real group.

"Are you stupid or something?!" Genis snapped, fuming as much as his sister now, if not more. To be fair to Raine, she had calmed down despite the loss of the book and was now giving Genis a cautionary look. "Now what are we supposed to do?!" The boy huffed.

"I am terribly sorry…" Neil murmured, looking somewhat pained.

"I can't believe this! Do you use your eyes at all or are they just there for decoration? You humans are—" a sharp slap resounding about the office cut the boy off as he cradled his cheek.

Though Kratos found the method Raine chose to deal with her brother to be a little blunt, he had to admit it was effective and likely a good job that she had done it. Throwing racial slurs around wouldn't help the situation.

Whilst Raine glared down at her brother, shaking her head, the boy looking shocked, Kratos registered that Lloyd and Colette were making progress, coming to the conclusion that they would have to ask at the church for if there was any copy of the book. With no other alternative, the group left, heading for the nearby church. To their dismay they found that there was no copy of the book and without that, they were somewhat stuck.

Listlessly, they wandered back outside, staring up at the bright blue sky white clouds skimming over a flawless pool. Genis was staring out at the building next to the church longingly and Raine gently patted him on the shoulder.

They stood in silence for sometime, mulling over what to do next when Colette eventually voiced the thought. It seemed that the only course of action that was open to them was to find the book. They could of course, try to find the seals by Remiel's words, but that would take far too long. With the decision made, they moved out of Palmacosta, heading north for Hakonesia peak.

--

After the bright bustling city of Palmacosta, the sudden quiet of the countryside was not entirely welcome…to the children's ears anyway. Lloyd was grumbling about having to leave the city, clearly wanting to spend more time there and Kratos was forced to remind the boy that that they were not on holiday. Genis and Colette seemed to be equally disappointed over leaving too, but at the very least, they were keeping the thoughts on the subject to themselves as they started discussing another topic. From what Kratos gathered, Genis was supposed to have attended the academy in town.

What Raine thought on the subject of leaving the city, he wasn't sure, but from the look on her face she was quite contented with the decision.

Despite the somewhat pressing matter of reaching Hakonesia peak, they moved at a somewhat relaxed pace, the pleasant weather and surroundings calming the frayed tempers that had occurred during the talk with Dorr. Occasionally Colette would prance off somewhere, chasing a butterfly or some such creature, before being retrieved by Lloyd or Genis whilst the adults supervised.

Or at least, Kratos supervised. Raine on the other hand became distracted by the new types of flora and fauna she hadn't seen before, cataloguing them in a large notebook. It was strange to Kratos to see such a usually composed woman flitting from plant to plant, insect to insect…but he had to admit, there was a somewhat charming girlishness in the way she investigated each life-form. Mixed in with that youthful flitting was a sense of purpose though, and an adult grace in her movements.

And to be fair, this was nothing compared to 'Ruin-mode' as Lloyd had named it. Though, that was at the very least, amusing and proved she could be warm and passionate about something. Eventually however, as Genis and Lloyd rounded up Colette, Kratos too was forced to coax Raine away from her investigations.

"Raine…though I appreciate you don't get to do much field research, we need to quicken our pace. I should like to reach the House of Salvation before nightfall and it has just gone noon."

"Ah…well, then should we stop for lunch and then continue?"

Kratos pursed his lips. "Is that an excuse for you to get to study the area more?"

"…is there any point in me trying to deny it?"

"Not really." There was a light tone in his usually serious voice, a faint curve to his lips.

To Raine's utter astonishment, the mercenary turned away and, instead of barking at her and the others to get a move on, called them over so that they could eat lunch. She stared at his back before a moment before he turned to her, one eyebrow raised.

"So will you join us or continue to study?"

"I…uh…." She watched somewhat dumbfounded as he let the children pull freshly made sandwiches from the main pack. It was not often that she was rendered speechless, she thought, and letting Kratos know he could have this influence on her was probably, once again, not a good idea. But then his actions just proved that she held some small sway over him at the moment. For such a strong-willed man, that in itself was a feat. Deciding that not joining them would be an insult to his generosity, she returned to the group, sitting down amongst the semi-circle and helping herself to a sandwich.

"We shall have to increase our pace after this," he reminded the group "it is a few hours trek to the house of salvation, and I'd rather reach there before nightfall."

"How far away from Hakonesia peak is the house of salvation?" Lloyd asked, through a mouthful of beef sandwich.

"Well…put it this way. The House of salvation is the halfway point between Palmacosta and the trail."

Lloyd nodded, looking at the older man curiously.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?"

Kratos glanced down to the small pile of sandwiches, peering at the contents cautiously. "I think there's only cheese and tomato left." Genis informed him.

"I'll pass then."

"You don't like cheese?" Lloyd asked, noticing how the professor seemed to have picked up on the conversation now that it involved personal information about the mercenary.

"Cheese is not the issue."

"You don't like tomatoes?"

Kratos shook his head. "I would rather eat grass."

Lloyd chuckled slightly. "Wow, we have something in common then."

They all saw it, the way Kratos' face dropped suddenly at the comment, as if it brought back some terrible memory of his. He covered it up quickly, hiding it with a mask of indifference. It was perhaps a god-send for Kratos that he could intimidate people so easily, for his sudden stance made Lloyd snap his mouth shut on whatever question he was about to ask the other man.

They ate the rest of the meal quickly, in silence. Kratos' reaction to Lloyd's comment was bizarre and though it was intriguing, everyone had the sense to steer well clear of asking anything about it. As for Kratos himself, he was now staring across the plain to the distant coast. His expression was blank, but there was some sort of emotion flickering through the garnet depths of his eyes. Later, when the children discussed his reaction when the mercenary would retreat from their presence for a time, they would compare thoughts. Lloyd would say he saw anger; Genis would say he saw pain, Colette would say she saw longing.

Raine was the only one who saw all three.

"We should get moving." Kratos stated abruptly, when they had finished their respective meals, rising smoothly to his feet as he cast a gaze across the plains, this time for enemies. Though his mouth had been reset in the familiar downward curve, his eyes were clear and sharp.

Raine stood beside him as Genis packed away the remaining sandwich and Colette threw her half-eaten salad sandwich to a nearby rabbit. Which was probably fortunate for the rabbit. If she hadn't thrown it for the creature, it probably would've wound up attacking her and being killed by Lloyd.

They set off again at a quick pace, heading over the rise and falls of gentle hills, following the dirt track that led to the traveller's post.

At one point, a witch and several badly armed men jumped out at the group, intent on mugging the group. Kratos had finished the men off before the witch had finished making her demands and had turned to her slowly. The witch had, sensibly, ran.

--

Early evening's cool air greeted the group as they finally entered the confines of the house of salvation's grounds. The sky was changing gradually from striking blue to a marginally darker shade, the clouds coloured peach by the sun's rays that were gradually fleeing from the sky. Darkening, long shadows cast over dirt-track ground, stretched silhouettes of people and dogs inching around as the sun changed position.

Raine followed Kratos down the steep steps to the sheltered hut, stepping through the door he distractedly held open, hearing it click shut behind her and warm air envelope her. She looked up, being met with the view of the back of Colette's head…and on the other side of the room, the unusually clothed figure of the female assassin who had attacked them a few days ago. The woman was speaking quietly to herself, head bowed as she stood in front of the statue of Spiritua.

"…lla will suffer. Please, help me save everyone." She was murmuring.

Lloyd stepped forwards cautiously. "Hey, what are you praying for?"

"So I can save everyone." She answered bluntly. She turned slowly, lifting her head, black hair hanging in her face as she opened sharp amber eyes. They widened in shock when she saw them, jerking back as they realised who her addressee was.

"Well, there's a nice thought."

The tone Lloyd used was so odd as he said that, Raine thought, that it was difficult to tell whether Lloyd was being sincere or sarcastic. Knowing Lloyd, the professor assumed the former.

The assassin on the other hand wasn't quite so knowledgeable about the boy and so gave an answer that she clearly felt was suitable in both cases.

"S…Shut up!" Simple, but effective.

"My name's Lloyd, what's yours?" Or maybe not.

Kratos shifted slightly as he watched the interaction between the two, clearly uneasy at the boy's attitude to the girl. Raine couldn't blame him, Lloyd's attitude to everything was pretty reckless and he didn't give much thought to the idea that people could be malicious. There was something, however, that made Kratos still and stay where he was, as opposed to cutting Lloyd off as she would've expected him to. Either he was reading the girl very well and assuming Lloyd's friendly nature would get through to her, or he was simply giving the boy some leeway…or maybe it was something to do with that reaction to Lloyd's earlier comment. Making a mental note to question Kratos later, she turned her attention back to the situation.

"I…I'm trying to kill you!" The assassin was sputtering.

"I know," Colette said seriously as she looked the assassin in the face. For once, Raine actually believed she understood the situation. "But if we just talk, I'm sure we can come to an understanding."

"Are you_ listening_ to me?!"

"I'm listening. But um… Ms. Assassin…"

"It's Sheena! Sheena Fujibayashi!"

And there you go. Lloyd and Colette's trusting outlook on life helped every now and then. Although, how much the information was actually worth was questionable.

"Sheena," Colette stepped forwards, hands clasped "You were praying. Praying makes one's heart grow. I pray, too. So I'm sure we can understand each other."

"I…I was praying that I'd be able to kill you… " Sheena stared squarely into her target's eyes as she regarded her "Forget it! I lost my concentration! You'd better be ready next time!"

Throwing her hand into the air, fingers clasping a thin card she disappeared, smoke billowing as her form disappeared. A pastor looked up from what he was doing in alarm, looking for the source of the smoke. Finding no fire he shook his head and went back to his work.

With the sudden appearance and indeed, disappearance on their minds, the group made their way upstairs, organising into pairs to take rooms…or at least, two pairs and one single.

Separating for the evening, the five met up again for dinner, briefly discussing the plans for the next day before retiring to their rooms again.

--

Raine lay beneath the covers of her bed, aware of her brother on the other side of the room, sleeping comfortably whilst she tossed and turned. Something niggled at the back of her mind and she was sure it wasn't journey based.

She had intended to speak with Kratos privately about several issues, but he had disappeared instantly after dinner. Later, she had heard Lloyd and him speaking tersely and then silence.

The house of salvation was eerily quietly at this time of night…but maybe the peace would do her good. As quietly as she could, she slid her legs from beneath the bed covers, letting them fall away from her. Aware of how the night was, in fact, quite mild and that no-one would be around at this time, she crept from the room in a long blue nightdress, hem skimming the floor as she walked.

She headed down the stairs for the front doors, pushing one open just wide enough for her to peek through cautiously before sliding her body out.

The faintest cool breeze blew as she stepped outside, pressing the material of her nightwear gently against her legs as she headed up the steps, feet padding against cold stone steps. As she reached the top of the flight however, she became aware of a shadow cast across the ground in front of her, distorted out of proportion by its length. Realising that it was, in fact, the silhouette of a person she turned suddenly to face the shadow's counterpart, arms enfolding her body as she turned to face them…only to recognise the familiar figure of Kratos Aurion, perched on the uppermost section of the roof, legs pulled up to a bare chest.

Wondering vaguely just why he had chosen that spot Raine cast an eye over the lower section of roof that was level with the path she stood on.

"Are you planning on joining me?"

His voice was hushed in the night's calm air, carrying through its almost complete stillness like a ghost's whisper.

"Am I welcome to?" Raine asked, voice matching his.

He nodded once, slowly, and motioned to the ledge of the lower roof that almost met the pathway, and Raine quickly stepped onto the red roof, walking up the shallow incline to reach the upper floors of the building.

"To your right."

She looked in the direction he had indicated, finding a section of strong looking vine-like plants climbing up the side of the wooden panelled building. She scaled them with relative ease, despite her impractical attire and it was only as her dress snagged on one of the branches as she climbed onto the main portion of the roof that she realised how she was dressed.

Strangely though, as Kratos looked up at her, not able to miss her attire, she didn't feel self-conscious and she quickly crossed the roof to sit beside him, testing her luck by sitting a little closer than usual.

If Kratos had any protestations, he didn't voice them and she couldn't help but notice the way that his eyes skimmed over her again, noting the form beneath the pale dress. To be fair, she was doing the same to him, blue eyes scanning the clean lines of his broad shoulders, the way moonlight highlighted their faint curve, complementing his pale skin. His eyes averted when he realised that he had taken a little too much notice of her presence and the dark gaze returned to the scenery laid out before the two of them.

"Why are you out so late?" Raine asked after a moment, once she had settled, pulling her nightgown into something resembling a shape.

"I…couldn't sleep. Lloyd's snoring is somewhat loud tonight."

Raine laughed softly at the comment, causing the mercenary to look over at her, his expression flickering between emotionless and thoughtful. It was a radical contrast to the one he had worn shortly after Lloyd had made the comment that had unnerved, perhaps even hurt the man so much. The professor remembered that she had wanted to ask him about that and perhaps now was the appropriate time. The silence between them now was comfortable, familiar…thoughtful.

"What about you?" he asked after a moment, catching her off guard. Ok, so she would ask him after this…she didn't want to push too hard and drive him away by diving straight in. When it came to himself and his life, Kratos seemed to be skittish, like a cornered wolf. When the time came he would either bolt or tear your throat out and it would take a cautious approach for him to let her know what was going on with him.

"The same. Couldn't sleep."

"I'm guessing Genis snoring isn't a problem."

"No…my mind is just restless tonight, too active to sleep."

"I know the feeling."

He turned his gaze away again, looking to the small shelter that Noishe lay beneath, resting peacefully. He seemed to relax as he saw the animal rest.

"Kratos," Raine licked her lips, uttering the name softly to call his attention to her. She would have to choose her words carefully. "May I ask you something?"

"If it isn't why am I working with you, yes."

She smiled. He hadn't forgot the little interrogation session she had given him last week. To think that it was only a little over a week ago that she had met him. It was true that she didn't know anything about him, but she seemed to know something of him, his character and emotions. The issues that the children avoided, lest they be stung by harsh words or worse. Raine, on the other hand, was not so scared as to worry about such issues. If he took unkindly to her being interested, it was his problem, not hers…still, she hoped he would share something of himself with her.

"What…do you think of Lloyd?" She asked slowly. Kratos jerked a little, seeming taken aback.

"Is something wrong?" she asked quickly in response to his reaction. He shook his head.

"No, I had just expected you to ask something else…but…why do you ask?"

"Well in practical terms, if there is some problem between you and Lloyd it could make this journey difficult."

"I have no quarrel with Lloyd. He may need to mature somewhat but I don't dislike him."

"I see."

"But…you said that in 'practical terms'. What are your 'other' terms?"

"I…" she faltered for a second before regaining her nerve "I noticed that when Lloyd mentioned you have something in common you seemed a little…distressed."

Kratos looked away. "That was what I assumed you were going to ask about before. You're far too observant to not have noticed…"

"So, if you don't mind my asking…why?"

Something resembling a sigh passed between Kratos' parted lips as he looked up at the moon.

"I…I lost someone important to me some time ago and…Lloyd reminds me of them." The words were so quiet that Raine barely heard them, the deepness of his voice blending the quiet words into the air's gently whisper. His body language was an odd mixture of dejection, reluctance and quiet anger.

"I'd wondered if it was something to do with your personal life," dark eyes turned onto her, narrowing slightly. "Forgive me, I don't mean to speak carelessly but…"

"You're a scholar. It is what you do naturally…observe and then state what you see."

"Yes."

"May I make a request of you, Raine?" Kratos asked after a moment and the professor nodded. "Please…don't mention this to Lloyd. He's likely to push the subject and…"

"It's a sensitive issue and you're a private person. If you want to share you'll do so of your own will." Raine finished the sentence for him, voicing what he couldn't and he nodded quietly before standing. His eyes had narrowed a fraction as she had done so, as he became all too aware of just how well she was reading him these days and little by little he was opening up to her. Perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing. Perhaps it was. At the moment, Kratos didn't particularly care…the need to sleep was becoming somewhat pressing.

"If you'll excuse me. I'll bid you goodnight and leave you to your thoughts."

Raine smiled and nodded, pulling her legs out of the way so that he could pass more easily. It was as he reached the edge of the roof that she called out to him again.

"Kratos…I know you keep your own counsel and are unlikely to want to…but if you have any concerns that you wish to share, I'll keep an ear open for you."

The mercenary tilted his head questioningly, brow furrowing slightly as the faintest of undeniable smiles broke over his lips.

"Thank you…I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

A.N: Ok, um...first, apologies for the length of this chapter. And for that really long boring bit in Palmacosta...badly written and pointless, I know, but I couldn't find a way to cut it down or skip it entirely without damaging the story line..and I hate doing general overviews.

As for the last bit...as always, hoping that they're IC...but the more important issue at this particular point is really, is it developing too fast? Hoping not, 'cos I'm basing a lot off that in the next few chapters. Anyway, as always, please review. :)


	10. Interaction

A.N: Apologies for the marginal lateness of this chapter. I was watching the mummy 3, and then got distracted by reading some god-awful piece of fanfiction. I'll just leave it at that.

Thanks for all the reviews, as always.

Enjoy!

* * *

Interaction

He stared up at the ceiling, arms folded beneath unruly auburn hair, eyes tracing the grain of the wood that formed the ceiling of the stay room. From the left of the room, fitful snoring erupted as if Lloyd were trying to imitate a choking Bison.

Kratos turned his head to look at the boy and rolled his eyes, stretching his back slightly, causing the blankets draped over his torso to slide down a few inches. Looking over the plain of his own chest, he traced a finger across one of the more prominent scars that adorned his body. A second finger traced the scar that ran parallel to the first, placed just a few inches below. A third one, similar to the others was situated just below that, creating a barred effect down his chest. Memories of how he had gained the scars came with the movements of his fingers across them and unconsciously, his breathing quickened, muscles tensing at the sudden barrage of emotions that shot through him.

_Anger, fear, grief and above all, pain. Running through a forest as dark branches tried to grab him as he tore between the tree trunks, heading for the bottom of the cliff, blood pulsing from the newly acquired wounds over his chest as he stumbled into the clearing. _

_There was nothing there._

Kratos bolted upright, sweat clinging to his skin as his right hand dropped away from his chest, clenching fists in blankets. He had drifted off to sleep.

From the other side of the room, Lloyd moaned loudly, anxiously, tossing in his sleep. It seemed that the mercenary wasn't the only one whose subconscious was giving him trouble during the night. He stood from the bed, contemplating whether he should wake the boy…but he was in need of some personal time to work out his own thoughts for the moment.

Hoping to quiet him, he walked across to the bed and, shaking his head at his own actions pulled the blankets back over the boy's shoulders, kneeling beside the bed. He hushed the boy, trying to soothe him, letting the presence and sound of his voice take its toll rather than trying to form comforting words. It worked and after a few minutes, Lloyd was sleeping peacefully once again.

Crossing to the window, Kratos quietly opened it, staring out over the landscape once again, taking in the cool air that blew softly into the room.

There was one issue in particular he needed to sort out, for the memories and emotions associated with them were something he could do little about now. So he focused on confronting the issue that he could actually do something about.

Raine Sage.

The woman was, in all honesty, occupying too much of his thoughts. But then, it was a rather pressing matter…because for once, he had no idea what he should do about her. People were generally easy to deal with…keep them at arms length, don't let them in and they can't cause problems.

Except that Raine was well aware that he was the sort of person who kept people at arms length and so far, had managed to avoid being grabbed and held at bay. Currently, she was evading his now pathetic attempts to keep her at bay, circling closer to him with everything she said and did, and she was getting close to what he deemed personal space. Actually, she had at least once crossed the line into personal space…and that wasn't a complete metaphor.

He had noticed the way earlier that night that she had sat next to him, just the slightest bit closer than usual. He hadn't moved away because…well because he didn't feel the need to. Her presence was solid, perhaps pressing…but not intrusive. More like a shadow of something that wanted to be noticed.

Most people didn't manage to possess that quality. They usually had the audacity to assume that they could just push into your space and thoughts, despite the fact you had made it quite clear that you didn't want it. Surely when you keep quiet, ignore someone and stare off into the distance it made it clear that you didn't want to speak with them?

Not that he wanted to ignore Raine of course, but she had the sense of propriety to not be overbearing or greedy with his attention. It was one of the many things he liked about her, because people like that were hard to find these days. He found it comforting that they still existed.

Kratos shifted, taking in the night air. He was now undeniably drawn to Raine, no matter how much he might want to protest that he wasn't.

Raine was a rare specimen to be sure. She had an ability to know when to push an issue and when to leave it, had the quality of being close without being intrusive. Her curiosity and desire to study and learn was admirable. Her intelligence leant itself to her cool, rational demeanour that would come in very useful when in dangerous situations but she somehow managed to retain a distant sense of warmth when she wanted to. It wasn't hard for Kratos to imagine that when it came to certain issues, she was capable of being very, very passionate, you could see it in the glint of her eyes when she was interested in something. If she were to turn that passion onto a person…

Of course, those thoughts were what really confirmed that Kratos found Raine interesting in a more than platonic way. He rarely thought about people being passionate to one another, least of all himself and so he wondered if it was a desire of his for it to happen. On the surface, if you threw the situation they were in aside, he would be perfectly happen for it to. Not only was Raine a good match for his own personality, but she was undeniably attractive.

For Kratos to think about Raine in such terms was also a cornerstone of his interest. He generally disregarded the shells that people's souls were housed in because they were really rather meaningless if you were looking for a relationship. So for him to pick up on just how attractive the woman was, as he had last night when they were sitting up on the roof, meant that she was a) very attractive and b) he was interested in her personality enough to consider her appearance.

It was an unusual pattern of thought, Kratos knew, for a person. Instinct insists in people that you pick out who you find good looking and stay with them if they have the right personality. Not so in his case, which made him not only unusual for a person but in particular, a male. He could name one individual in particular that was the complete opposite of himself, and he did not appreciate the way the man treated women so shallowly.

Still….for all the ideas of making what was a rapidly developing companionship into something less platonic, Kratos knew that it wasn't going to happen.

In practical terms, the relationship was doomed. They were both bound by duty to watch Colette, not each other, something which Kratos found himself doing already. Not only that but with the children around, it made a full, adult relationship difficult to engage in…and…they were on the clock. In perhaps a few months, the journey would be over and they would part ways. He couldn't linger with her after Colette had regenerated the world, he had another job to return to, set up ready for when he finished this one. Even if he didn't have to return to that commitment either, he was not able to give up his lifestyle of nomadic wandering as it was at the moment easily, simply because he relied on it to live. And he was sure that neither of them was about to consider settling down at their ages. Perhaps at twenty eight Kratos should've been but…well…he wasn't going to. Not again.

He wondered if perhaps that was the real reason of why he wasn't letting himself get involved with Raine. It would be painful when they parted and he was unsure as to whether he could cope with going through that sense of loss again. His hand lifted to his chest to trace along the scars again. No…he wouldn't, couldn't. Not again.

In all honesty, it would be easier for both of them if they didn't get involved…no matter how much either of them wanted it. Nodding to himself, decision made, he returned to the bed in the hope of getting a couple of hours sleep before dawn broke. As he drifted away however, he hoped the sudden pang of loneliness didn't get the better of him.

--

Raine took a deep breath of the still morning air as she stepped outside the House of Salvation, climbing the steep grey steps to find Kratos at the top, waiting for the group to assemble. He greeted her quietly.

"I trust you slept well?"

She nodded. "Yes…I've resolved some of the issues that had been bothering me."

"I see. That should make your mind clearer for the rest of the journey."

"You would think."

She turned away as he opened his mouth to question her, signalling that she was not going to share the matter. Genis was walking up the steps slowly, toying with the string of his Kendama.

"Colette and Lloyd should be here in a minute. They were just…chatting about something…I think."

Kratos shook his head, clearly not wanting to be delayed further, but not having any choice other than to wait. He turned for the stall Noishe was housed in, lifting the bar to let the animal out and the dog immediately took his place at the mercenary's side. He barked animatedly when Colette and Lloyd left the building and greeted the assembly and both Lloyd and Kratos took steps to quiet him. But it was only Kratos' calm voice that hushed the animal.

They set off at a brisk pace for Hakonesia Peak, Kratos wanting to make up for the time that had slipped by them yesterday. He wasn't pushing the group nearly as hard as he should have been and the delay was becoming apparent to him.

Pressing on, the countryside blurred passed them smoothly as the ground began to slope upwards. The mountain ranges that separated the two main sections of the continent appeared in rough, blocky shapes, refining themselves into walls of soft brown stone topped with grass.

In just an hour they had reached Hakonesia Peak.

Breathing deeply to steady straining lungs and rapidly beating hearts, the group followed Kratos up the somewhat steep incline, passing by a notice board bearing Lloyd's wanted poster. The patch of grass to the left of the path they were climbing was covered in what one could only describe as a junk yard sail for the deranged. Even Raine, collector of relics seemed rather confused by the jumble of items. It did, however, give a very clear impression of the magpie-minded man who lived in the hut.

Lloyd grimaced slightly as he passed inside. The building was barely big enough to call a home if you had a normal amount of items, as it stood in this house, the junk was over-flowing. A bed had been squeezed into one corner…and that was about the only normal, usable item of furniture in the room.

An old man, leaning on a cane, looked up at the travellers as they entered, narrowing his eyes.

"If you're looking for road passes, it's 100,000,000 Gald per person." He barked at the teen before Lloyd had even opened his mouth.

Kratos rolled his eyes as Lloyd began to argue with the older man, scanning the room for any sign of the book they were looking for. Koton glanced up at him suspiciously and Raine chose that moment to engage in the conversation.

"Oh, my, you're quite the beauty." The elderly man responded and Kratos narrowed his eyes, not liking the way the man's lecherous gaze was crawling across the teacher. Raine herself looked pretty disdainful, but she made no response to the comment. A second later the mercenary's eyes had fallen upon it and he nudged Colette gently, indicating the book. She walked over to it, peering cautiously.

"Hmm? That's a very old scripture." Koton looked up sharply from his argument which now included Genis.

"Oh, my beautiful maiden! You have good eye! This here is something I purchased from the Chosen of Mana. It's a very rare scripture record that contains the Legend of Spiritua!"

Kratos could practically _taste _his dislike for the man in front of him…but unfortunately, he was in possession of the book they needed so much.

"I've been wanting to get my hands on this for ages! I'd just about given up on Dorr ever letting go of it. It was very fortunate that the Chosen herself was willing to part with it!" The man prattled on, staring at the book with just as much lust as he had the two females.

Finding that the conversation wasn't going anywhere fast, Kratos switched his attention fractionally. Through the thin walls of the hut he could just about make out the sounds of people arriving, a large number of them. There seemed to be a sense of panic in the way the footfalls hit the floor and he frowned, turning back to the matter in hand. Genis was sporting a red cheek, Raine, a red hand. He guessed that he had missed the smack, but knew the signs well enough to know it had occurred.

"More than anything, I want the Spiritua Statue that is displayed in the House of Salvation. If you bring me that, I'll consider showing you the book."

Kratos had to wonder vaguely why anyone would want such an object…but then he also wondered why anyone would want half of the items in this room. With no chance of them seeing the book, the group turned and left, heading outside to find it thronged with people. Many of them were clutching children, looking panicked.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd asked, stepping up to a woman who was casting her eye over the crowd.

"Oh, you don't know?"

"You all would be better off waiting here for a while. No matter what, you should stay away from Palmacosta."

_Another eavesdropper_ Kratos thought, but the tremble in the man's voice and the worried look he was giving them made him wonder just what had happened at the coastal town. He could probably hazard a guess though…

"Did something happen in Palmacosta?" Lloyd asked, anxiously now, clearly wanting to get some information out of the two.

"It seems the Desians are headed for Palmacosta!" A woman chirped up, this one sounding slightly hysterical.

"Plus, they say the leader of the nearby human ranch, Magnius, is with them." The man added, patting the other woman lightly on the shoulder.

The Chosen's group was moving even as the man advised them to wait at Hakonesia for things to calm down. If the leader of the ranch was with them, there was likely going to be an execution, if not a blood bath about to occur in the town. Whether they could reach the town in time enough to actually _do _anything was debatable.

Scenery blurred by as Colette and Genis, mounted on Noishe took the lead of the group, Lloyd and Kratos keeping up with the animal easily. Raine on the other hand, was faltering as time wore on and they were forced to stop at the House of Salvation for a brief rest. Lloyd was clearly not pleased at the course of action, but unless they wanted to go into a potential fight without their healer, they had little choice. Besides, Lloyd himself was looking a little tired. He paced around the yard outside the building nevertheless.

"Those Desians! If they cause trouble in Palmacosta, they're going to pay!" Lloyd spat the words out, glaring at the floor until Kratos stepped forwards to press a hand against his shoulder, halting him.

"Lloyd, calm down. What's wrong?" Raine asked, looking up from her position, leaning on the fence, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"When I left Iselia, I swore I'd never let the Desians have their way again!"

Kratos left the boy to join Raine at the fence, as cool and collected as ever. He folded his arms leisurely.

"Losing your cool will only lead to poor decisions." He cautioned.

"Oh, just shut up!"

Something hot flared in Raine's eyes and she stood from the fence, almost stalking towards the boy, exhausted state apparently forgotten. She stopped when she was directly in front of the boy,

"Lloyd, your feelings are always honest and pure. Nevertheless, that's not a reason to ignore the advice of your comrades." The words were not particularly harsh…the annoyed, disappointed tone of her voice was.

"But I…" Lloyd stammered and it only seemed to stoke Raine's ire.

"We are worried about Palmacosta, but we're also worried about you, understand?"

Lloyd looked down, ashamed, unable to meet his teacher's gaze.

"...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that."

Raine's shoulders dropped, voice returning to a normal level as anger drained.

"...That's better. But am I the one to whom you should be apologizing?"

The teen shook his head slightly as he looked up to his mentor. "...Kratos. I was wrong...I'm sorry."

The mercenary didn't seem in the least bit fazed by Lloyd's previous outburst, in fact his only expression throughout the entire 'conversation' had been one of mild surprise when Raine had defended him so readily.

"I take no offence. At any rate, we should head for Palmacosta. We'll move quickly, but carefully."

"Right." Lloyd nodded, looking miserable.

With order, and Raine's ability to breathe restored, the group set of again, running at a blistering pace. The time they had lost weighed heavily on Raine's conscience as they pressed on. If she wasn't so unfit, she'd be able to keep pace…but then…at least she was better than she had been. The week's worth of travelling had seen to that.

Palmacosta came into view after an unbearably long time, or so it seemed, and though nothing appeared to be amiss from the outside, there was a sense of urgency that hung over the city. Raine panted as they approached and Kratos placed his hand against her shoulder blade, pressing slightly to keep her going. They only slowed when they reached the town and his hand dropped from her shoulder.

The streets were empty. There was no sound from the market and even the usually loud seagulls seemed to have been silenced. The only noise came from the town centre and the group quickly made their way towards it, seeing the frightened faces of townsfolk peering out of shop and house windows.

"Out of the way! Lord Magnius approaches!"

The gruff male voice could only just be heard from their current position but it urged the group on. They skidded to a halt at the end of the bridge, taking in the scene before them.

A makeshift gallows had been set up in the town centre, a woman standing upon it with a rope around her neck and they realised suddenly that it was Chocolat's mother.

"That's _Lord_ Magnius, vermin!"

The voice travelled across the town centre with ease, a rough, almost husky tone, that was laced thickly with a combination of disgust, arrogance and brutality. It gave the sound a thug-like quality, and given the appearance of the man it came from, it seemed like a good way to describe him.

His brawny, tanned hand was wrapped about the throat of a man whom he held aloft easily and the crack his neck made echoed sickeningly across the area. He dropped to the floor, dead.

"This woman defied the wishes of the great Lord Magnius and refused to provide us with supplies." One of the Desian guards, standing below the gallows intoned, as Magnius climbed up onto the structure, staring out across his audience.

He was a thick-set man, almost stocky, his body adorned with a number of vicious looking scars. Even his face was rather broad but a wide noise and small eyes gave him the appearance of a pug dog as he scrutinized the crowd, an expression of twisted pleasure written over scarred lips.

"Therefore, while the designated death count has been exceeded, we have been granted orders to carry out this woman's execution!" The other Desian was finishing the first's sentence and Lloyd clenched his fist,

"Dammit! Why isn't the city militia doing anything to stop this?"

"Most of them are out on training exercises right now." A man answered, panic and anxiety written across his face.

"The Desian's must have waited for this opportunity," Genis scowled "Slimy jerks!"

"Mom!!"

The cry was high, female and scared. A moment later Chocolat came sprinting past the group, straight into the town centre to the front of the gallows.

"Stop right there woman!" One of the guards commanded, lowering his weapon to block her access.

"If you interfere, we'll make you suffer in ways that will leave you begging for death!" The second guard was, once again, finishing off the other's sentences.

"You think Governor-General Dorr will let you get away with this?" Chocolat was hissing at Magnius, not a hint of fear present in her voice as she looked up at the half-elf above her.

"Dorr?" Magnius let out a guffawing roar of condescending laughter. "Don't get your hopes up, woman!" He snapped his fingers, signalling for the hangman to pull the lever when a stone sailed through the air, hitting him squarely in the chest. Magnius' eyes slid smoothly, resting on the small boy holding a handful of rocks, scarred brow furrowing.

"You…disgusting little vermin!" The Desian leapt from the gallows smoothly, blood red hair flying as he slammed into the ground, rising easily to stalk towards the boy, teeth grinding.

"Stop right there!"

Lloyd's shout and attack came before either adult had a chance to stop him, the blade of energy slamming into the half-elf as the boy scuttled away. Magnius staggered, a grunt of pain escaping twisted lips as he faced his attacker, his guards swarming around him. Raine was dashing forwards a moment later, running towards Lloyd and Kratos' hand immediately fell to his sword, eyes flicking between the teacher and the Desian.

"Lloyd, stop! Do you want to turn this city into the next Iselia?" Her words made sense, were rational and calm as always, but in this situation, there was little time to think before acting for even the most intellectual person.

"It's not the same! This city doesn't have a non-aggression treaty with the Desians! How can we go on a quest to regenerate the world if we can't even save the people standing right in front of us?!"

"Lloyd's right! I won't just stand here and let this happen!" Colette joined in, striding forwards to stand beside Lloyd, usually soft eyes hard with determination.

One of the Desian's straightened slightly. "…You! You're wanted criminal #0074…Lloyd Irving!"

Magnius straightened at the news, amusement and interest flickering across his face. "Well, now! So you're that boy with the Exsphere!" There was a sudden, cultured tone to Magnius' voice that Raine hadn't noticed before, and her eyes narrowed immediately with dislike. Was he trying to sound more intelligent, or was he just being arrogant again? Either way, whatever effect he was going for was suddenly ruined by the guffawing laugh. "This is perfect!" he exclaimed, a giant fist slamming into open palm.

"After I take that Exsphere from you, they'll make me the leader of the Five Grand Cardinals! Get them!"

One of the magic users was already casting a spell, a red magic circle appearing about his feet and Magnius stood back, folding his arms smugly.

Seconds later, a flurry of fireballs were hurtling towards the trio standing out front, only to be blocked and deflected by Genis as he dashed forwards, casting a force field to protect his friends and sister.

"Amateurs." He sniffed derisively, sauntering away calmly. So much like his sister.

"Dammit! You worthless idiots! Enough of this! I'll take care of this woman first!" Magnius signalled to one of his guards to pull the lever of the gallows, signing Cacao's death. Kratos heard the breath catch in every villager as the woman dropped. But the rope hadn't broken her neck, leaving her hanging in mid-air to be strangled to death.

"No!" The familiar chakrams were in Colette's hands and then whisking through the air severing the ropes and leaving Cacao to drop to the floor with a grunt. Chocolat was at her side in seconds.

Raine muttered under her breath as she watched Magnius look around in confusion before a black blur passed her. She realised a moment later that it was Kratos, dashing towards Magnius as he was distracted and she felt her stomach knot. She hadn't seen the full extent of Kratos' strength or intelligence but surely he wasn't strong or stupid enough to try and take on Magnius alone?

It was a blur of motion; Kratos sliding to a stop before Magnius and wrenching his swords free, swiping it smoothly towards him. She saw blood spill from Magnius' abdomen as Kratos took a step back, sheathing his sword and towering over the other man who sank to his knees. The guards looked stupefied, unsure what to do with the man who had wounded their leader standing so brazenly in front of them.

Muscled arms folded as Kratos tilted his head, looking down and Magnius with barely concealed disgust. His voice however, was even and calm.

"…Let us respect the wishes of the Chosen."

A gasp escaped from every villager present, and as Raine took in the situation, she thought that Kratos had just done something extremely cunning, or tremendously stupid. She hoped it was the former, surprised by the fact that he had taken action anyway in this situation.

"The Chosen?" One man questioned, looking at Colette.

"She is the Chosen?" Another one asked, eyes wide as he regarded the blonde girl.

"Do you all realize what you're doing?" Raine questioned "If you defy the Desians, this city may be attacked just like Iselia." She hoped her words would strike sense in Kratos and Genis at the very least, so that they might call off this foolish behaviour.

Kratos heard Raine's words to Lloyd and rolled his eyes at the boy's brash response. He himself knew what he was doing, even if Lloyd didn't. With the Chosen actively in the open, showing people that she was saving them, it would boost morale and people's strength to fight the Desian's stranglehold on them. Besides, Lloyd's initial move had practically doomed them anyway, they couldn't _not _take action after that.

"I give up. You're all hopeless… But I'll help, since I'd be worried about you otherwise." Raine cast a glance to Kratos, now standing off to the side.

Kratos would've smirked at Raine's way of giving in were it not for the dire situation. Stubborn and careful of her image until the end.

"Damned little…" Magnius muttered, still on his knees "Enough of this crap! I'm leaving them to you. Get rid of them!" he teleported out a moment later and Kratos snorted. Coward.

"How dare you lay a hand on Lord Magnius?! You're all dead!"

Within moments the five of them were locked in combat against the three Desians. Kratos aimed for the magic user, cutting him down easily as Lloyd and Colette worked on one of the others, Genis taking on the final one. Seconds later, they fell, no match for the Chosen and her companions as cheers rang out among the towns people. Saved by the Chosen.

--

Raine stood quietly in the living quarters of Marble's item shopping, no longer really listening to the women standing in front of them. Her mind reeled at the thought of the consequences their action might have on the town and she looked around the room distractedly. It was Kratos' gentle tap on her shoulder that informed her that they were leaving and she left the house in a somewhat vacant state.

As she was lead out of the town, she heard a conversation take place. It seemed the group was going to escort a priest to Hakonesia peak. They travelled without stopping this time, walking at a pace which allowed the priest to keep up and Raine's thoughts finally drifted back into focus. Colette was speaking with the priest, Lloyd and Genis to each other, leaving her and Kratos to take up the rear once again.

She looked over at the man walking beside her as was now customary and he met her gaze as steadily as always. There was something in that simple gesture that Raine appreciated, the fact that someone would actually meet her eyes…most would flinch away after just a few seconds, unable to take the intensity in her gaze. She had a feeling that Kratos had his fair share of that reaction too.

She broke the eye contact after a moment, looking to the front of the group, resuming the comfortable silence between them.

"Is there something you wish to ask of me?" Kratos questioned after a moment, letting his eyes stray over to her before looking ahead again, eyes scanning the area.

Raine jostled a little, irritated at herself that she had let him read her so easily. She was supposed to be interesting…different, that was what placed her apart from others and gained her Kratos' interest in the first place. Nevertheless, she still wanted answers.

"Why did you get involved?"

"In Palmacosta?"

"Yes. The situation was contained, there would have been relatively few deaths, and as I said to Lloyd, crossing the Desians may lead to that town being destroyed now. And your direct attack on Magnius may well have exacerbated the situation to a dangerous level."

"What would you have had me done, Raine? Colette had already saved their victim, Genis had insulted the guards and Magnius' competence and Lloyd had already inflicted a blow upon Magnius. They knew who he's wanted as well, no matter what the outcome of the situation, they will still have attacked Palmacosta and pursued us no matter what. As it stands, all I have done is wounded their leader."

"Adding insult to injury."

"But at the very least, wounding him enough to make him divert his plans for the moment. Furthermore, I'm unsure whether you noticed but there was a least one person there who knew Colette was the Chosen. What if we had done nothing, and then he had spread the word that the Chosen had sat back and allowed a woman to be executed before her own eyes?"

"…I…see you point."

"And, this may be foolish, but I have little desire to see the blood of more innocents spilt. I may be rational, Raine, but I don't count myself as being unduly cruel."

"You're a mercenary and yet you don't see yourself as cruel?"

"You do?" Raine looked up straight into that garnet gaze as he questioned her, seeing emotion skating across his eyes and she quickly shook her head. She wasn't giving him the right impression.

"Perhaps I chose my words carelessly. What I mean to say is that, mercenaries are not particularly renowned for their compassion."

"We are a very practical group of people that's true….but we are still people. I differ from others just as everyone does…although, I should like to differ from most a little more than usual."

"Why?"

Kratos pulled his gaze away as Lloyd shouted from the front of the group that they had arrived. The priest whom Colette had been speaking with thanked the group and promptly disappeared up the path to the upper part of the continent, flashing a pass at the guards as he went.

"Well, what should we do now?" Kratos asked, as the group loitered indecisively.

"We should probably go and see about that Spiritua statue. We're not going to get past here without it."

"I concur." Kratos turned to set off, when an armoured soldier rushed up to the group.

"Chosen! Everyone! I have a message from Dorr. He would like you to temporarily postpone the journey of regeneration."

Raine caught Kratos expression as the soldier spoke, surprise and annoyance flitting across his features as he questioned the man. It was a bit of an extreme reaction, she thought, though his question was innocent enough…his body language, on the other hand, seemed less than pleased. It renewed her sense of distrust in him, re-awakening those suspicions she had forgotten about…but, with the undeniable attraction building between the two of them, perhaps she could use it to carry out her original intention of getting closer to him to know what he was up to. She hoped that she was merely being paranoid, but it wouldn't do any harm to air on the side of caution.

"A Church of Martel pilgrimage tour guide has been kidnapped by the Desians. In light of this, Dorr has decided that this is the time to gather Palmacosta's forces and launch an attack on the human ranch controlled by Magnius."

"How is that related?" Genis asked, sceptically.

"We would like you to rescue the kidnapped tour guide in concert with our attack. Her name is Chocolat."

"Oh no." Raine breathed shaking her head. This was exactly why she didn't want the group to get involved with Magnius.

With little other option, the group retraced their steps, heading back to the House of Salvation. From there, they followed the path west, towards the opposite coast, winding between mountains until the blocky, black structure of the Human Ranch came into view.

There was something about the structure itself, nestled amongst a sparse forest, that was intimidating and radiated despair to those who didn't take pleasure in thinking of the helpless humans inside. Raine gained a sense of foreboding with every step she took, and as they slid between the trees to the entrance of the ranch, it only got worse.

A quiet cry from someone behind the group didn't help and she spun, heart leaping, to face Neil. He quickly led them along a narrow path until he turned to face them, looking grave.

"I'd like you to leave the Palmacosta region." He stated bluntly, to the surprise of the group. Colette sputtered, her and Genis explaining what they had been told, stopping when Neil's face fell.

Kratos narrowed his eyes. "So…it is a trap."

"…Of the several possibilities, it looks like the worst one came true." Raine finished for him, already catching onto his meaning whilst the rest of the group looked confused.

"It was a mystery that the Desians would simply leave a city with an army alone." Kratos explained at Lloyd's blank expression.

"Yes, exactly. Choosing not to crush the seeds of rebellion must mean they are not a threat… They are left alone simply because they have no real power, or perhaps, because they are in fact beneficial…"

Kratos nodded as Raine explained and Neil confirmed the truth. There had always been something odd about that city…

His thoughts were interrupted when an argument broke out among Raine and the children. Calmly, he suggested that they continue with the journey, much to the youngsters' further protestations. Raine, on the other hand, backed him up whole-heartedly and though he had a feeling it wasn't going to work, he inwardly thanked her for her support. Of course, they seemed to have similar thoughts on the situation, so her backing him up didn't come as a surprise to him. With the decision made, illogically, in Kratos opinion, they made for the entrance to the ranch, Neil in tow.

The entrance was set between two large pillars, flanked by rocks and trees, Desian guards wandering around in front of the entrance looking bored. Out in this fairly remote region, there was rarely any activity, so Kratos supposed as Lloyd dashed forwards, taking the guard by surprise, this was a welcome change.

The downside for the guard was that the lack of activity had left his sword skills somewhat unpolished, and he was knocked down easily as Lloyd swung at him, barrelling past and heading inside the ranch.

--

Kratos rubbed at a temple, irritated, as Lloyd led them to another warp pad. They had managed to free the prisoners and gain all the items necessary to get to Magnius…but Lloyd didn't seem to have an order of warp pads to follow and was just randomly staggering from one to the other. It was beginning to grate on his nerves, something which didn't occur often, but then he wasn't often stuck in a Desian facility, traipsing pointlessly from one area to another, with his senses listening for the slightest hint of danger.

He stepped up onto the warp pad, next to Raine, watching as white pinpricks of light blurred upwards past them, before a blinding flash of light erupted, depositing them in a new room.

And there, in the corner, flanked by a pair of guards, was none other than Chocolat herself.

"Lloyd! Look!" Genis shouted, pointing to the guards. They turned at the call, one pulling the whip in his hands tighter, the other hefting the crossbow he carried.

"Stop!"

The boys rushed towards the guards, Colette in tow as Kratos pulled his sword free once more, watching Lloyd raise his sword to let the offending whip wrap around his blade, hacking at the Desian with the other blade.

He dashed forwards himself, standing before Genis in an attempt to protect the boy as the guard fired at him and he called up a guardian shield seconds before the arrow struck. A second later, icicles erupted from the ground, impaling the Desian and as the glaciers receded, he fell to the ground.

Kratos looked to Genis, nodding his head in approval of the boy's skills and Genis smirked a little at the praise as his sister strolled past them to check on the girl.

"You came to rescue me?"

"Yup," Colette grinned at Chocolat "Did they hurt you? Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Chosen One, everybody, thank you all so much."

"Ah, don't mention it…" Lloyd looked down as he spoke, keeping his eyes averted from the girl before it, the death of Marble weighing heavily on his mind as he faced the woman's granddaughter.

"There is no time to be celebrating. We still need to take care of Magnius." Kratos reminded, preventing the girl from upsetting Lloyd further as well as moving on. They needed to pick up the pace,

Whilst the others discussed reaching the control room, Kratos turned looking at the remaining warp pads, wondering which would lead them to Magnius. The problem was solved when Chocolat offered to lead them to the control room and within moments, they were stepping onto the warp pad that would lead them to the centre of Magnius' operations.

The control room, Raine noticed, as her the white light of the teleporter faded, was much grander than any of the other rooms.

The colour scheme was much the same, a dull red and beige, but in this room, the walls were covered in green circuit boards. Machines lined the walls, lights flickering on and off, a low hum of machinery vibrating through the large chamber.

It was the central feature of the room that attracted Raine's attention, however. A large, circular walled platform, a force field ring set above it. It was a strange looking device, extravagant and advanced…but its purpose eluded her.

"So this is the control room…" Lloyd murmured, looking around the room with wide eyes.

"So the forsaken Chosen and her entourage of vermin have finally arrived." The voice drifted down from somewhere above them, and the group noticeably tensed at the sound of Magnius' thuggishly cultured voice.

"For…saken?" Kratos questioned and Raine looked over to him. He seemed genuinely unsure of what to make of the comment, and it was unusual to see uncertainty in a man who usually seemed supercilious.

She would've questioned him, when her initial question was answered, and she looked to the centre of the room. The green force field in the centre of the room had lowered and there, in the centre of it, drifting down in some absurd seating contraption, was Magnius, reclining leisurely across the seat and smirking in all his brutish attempt at glory.

* * *

Hope it wasn't too boring with the whole Magnius scene in Palmacosta, I just couldn't really find a way to shortcut it. Uhm, just the usual really to say. Oh, and there will be a lot of the sort of Kratos & Raine midnight private talks in the next few chapters...I figured that's the only way they'd really get to know each other that wasn't shown in the game.

And for the Lloyd & Kratos little father-son thing, I figured I had to put one in somewhere. I do try and include a little about it, since it is a big part of the game.

Anyway, please review :)


	11. Leaders' Demise

A.N: Thanks for the reviews, as always.

Enjoy!

* * *

Leaders' Demise

It was an almost surreal situation, the five of them in the heart of a Desian facility, facing off against its half-elf commander as the lights from the nearby consoles flickered over them erratically. The weapon that Magnius held, coupled with his own brutal appearance, didn't help detract from the unreal sense Raine was experiencing as she took in the situation.

She was standing near the back of the area that seemed to have been assigned to battle, watching as the blood-red haired halfling lifted the over-large axe, slamming it against Lloyd's locked blades with a cry of "Beast!"

Mana poured from the axe, forming into the shimmering blue image of a roaring lion's head as the force of the attacked shoved Lloyd backwards. The boy flipped in mid-air landing on his feet a few metres back from the Desian. Lloyd's retreat, however, had only meant there was an opening for Kratos and the mercenary leapt forwards, bringing his sword up in a vertical sweep, the tip of the blade shearing along Magnius' exposed chest.

He staggered back, panting a little as Genis released a wind blade attack, the air slicing around the half-elf but it seemed to affect him little as he swung his axe up in front of him to begin casting his own spell.

Kratos and Lloyd were running for him instantly, flanking him as they charged, only to watch him release the spell he had cast.

Boulders and lava burst from the floor beneath Colette and the girl barely had enough time to cast her own shield as the magma surged around her, rocks falling back to earth, threatening to hit Lloyd as he backed away from Magnius.

Kratos took a lucky swipe, hitting the man in the side as he swung his axe back round to the right, sending it crashing into the mercenary. He flipped, righting himself in the air, landing heavily as blood seeped from the wound at his chest.

Raine was already casting her own healing spell, sending it over to Colette who was staggering from the mild burns inflicted by Magnius' last attack. Genis was casting yet another spell, kendama working furiously in his hand, a purple magic circle surrounding him.

But something shifted in the mana in the air and Kratos was charging towards Magnius once more, ignoring the blood dripping from his chest as he did. Colette and Lloyd followed suit, plunging forwards towards the man as Kratos took another swing.

"Follow me!" he commanded, thrusting his blade forward as Lloyd mirrored his attack and Colette called upon her angelic powers. Glowing feathers of mana fell from the ceiling, overwhelming their enemy with their power as a bolt of lightening shot straight down from the heavens, hitting the half-elf…but they still weren't finished.

Lloyd and Kratos, both of whom had moved away from the collapsing man, but upon seeing Genis and Colette finish their attacks, went for the coup de grace.

"Follow it up!" Kratos was shouting to the boy, standing parallel to him "Cross thrust!"

They shot forwards at the same time, missing each other by mere millimetres as they sliced through Magnius simultaneously, a large bloody X carved into a muscled chest.

The half-elf gasped, breath drawn in roughly between slightly parted lips, eyes wide with shock as he pitched forward, falling to one knee.

"How?! How could a superior half-elf like me…"

"It's because you are a fool, Magnius. Cruxis has accepted Colette as the Chosen." Kratos cut the dying man off, straightening as he sheathed his sword, folding his arms across his chest. His voice was strong, authoritive and tinged with derision as he looked down at the other man. Raine looked over to him in appreciation. Whilst the impact of what they had just done hit the children, Kratos stood tall amongst them, un-affected, calm as always.

"That's right! Colette is going to regenerate the world! We're not going to lose to someone like you!" Lloyd hissed, voice wavering slightly even as he spoke the words…something close to guilt flickered in his eyes.

"So…you're…then…I was deceived…"

It seemed it be the only thing the dying man could sputter out as he fell forwards once more, hitting the floor with a dull thud.

Raine dashed to the nearby console, calmly making her way through the core computer system. Genis was shouting to Lloyd, drawing attention to the screen and her eyes flicked up. Chocolat was displayed on the projector, being led away by a pair of Desian guards. Raine drew her eyes away, returning them to the console, hitting the button to release the prisoners, informing the rest of the group as she did before working her way through the self-destruct sequence as the others decided what to do about the freed captives. Kratos had pointed out that they still had their exspheres attached.

"…We can work out the details later. Right now, I'm going to program this place to self-destruct. Ready?"

The children jerked.

"Are you serious?!" Lloyd asked, looking alarmed as Raine turned to him.

"Raine, if you do that…" Genis reminded and she quickly cut him off, not wanting to think about what she was condemning the guards left in the facility to. Her mind was already made up.

"At the very least, we'll deal a major blow to the Desian stranglehold over this region. If we're going to strike them, it should be thorough and decisive."

From the corner of her eye she saw Kratos nodding in agreement and she quickly decided that if he was strong enough to not crumble under the guilt of taking the life of Magnius, then she could match that strength. She was as strong as the next person and she wouldn't crumble under any pressure thrown at her.

"Remember, Genis. We're not like them. We're different." She added as she turned away from her younger brother, tapping at the console in front of her.

"I've set the self-destruct timer for ten minutes. Let's hurry and evacuate."

Looking alarmed, they turned and dashed for the emergency exit warp pad, letting the children go first as Raine and Kratos hung back.

"You handle the machinery here well." Kratos commented as the children disappeared.

Raine shrugged as she stepped onto the warp pad and he followed suit. "Magitechnology is a passion of mine, so I should be able to use it."

The view of the room faded out of her vision, leaving no room for any further talk as they were deposited outside, in front of the awaiting children.

Neil was already there, speaking with Lloyd and Raine and Kratos didn't wait a heartbeat before running from the ranch, much to the confusion of Neil.

"It's going to explode!" Colette informed him, sprinting past him.

The sky was tinted orange as the group sprinted from the confines of the trees and then spun to see flames shoot into the sky in an apocalyptic display. Waves of power shook the earth beneath their feet as gun-metal grey clouds billowed into the air, flecked with the orange of flames. Raine saw Genis cover his nose against the sulphur like smell of the burning ruins carried to them on the wind.

"I thought I was going to die…" Lloyd panted, leaning over to rest his hands on his knees. Kratos rolled his eyes, turning away a second later to scan the landscape. The group was discussing how to save the captives from the implanted exspheres…and far too slowly for Kratos' liking.

The sky was darkening now, a long, tiring and almost pointless day, in terms of the world regeneration at least, having slipped past them. He was eager to get them moved out of here as soon as possible, perhaps to the house of Salvation so they could rest for the night…and see about getting that Spiritua statue. Of course there was one detail that still hadn't been resolved in this mess of inter-racial power politics.

"…I think it is time we had a talk with a mastermind behind all this." He commented, turning back to the group.

"You're going to see Dorr, aren't you? Please…please, take me with you!" Neil practically begged and Kratos felt his lip curl slightly in distaste. What kind of man grovelled so without any provocation? Raine's muffled throat-clearing seemed to suggest the same thing even as Lloyd cautioned him.

"I want to know the Governor-General's true motives. Please!"

Well that was a _little _better but still…so grovelly. Lloyd sighed, conceding and Kratos stepped forwards.

"I suggest that we stay at the House of Salvation for now though. It's getting late and we'll not make it to Palmacosta before nightfall. Besides, I think we could all use the rest and chance to gather our wits."

There was a murmur of agreement and with the motion decided, they headed east as night drew in, reaching the safe house just as the last of the sun's rays faded from sight.

Exhausted, they each went to their rooms, divided into their pairs once again. Kratos followed Lloyd closely as he entered their rooms, and he immediately flopped onto the bed as the older man closed the door.

"Man, I'm beat. Been a pretty tough day, huh?"

"It has been a little more strenuous than usual." Kratos conceded, sitting on his allocated bed and removing his boots and cape.

"And did you see the way I handled Magnius?" he sat up, fists clenched "I was like 'bam, bam, bam!' he never had a chance…"

He trailed off suddenly and Kratos noted the look written across his young face. Guilt.

"Lloyd?"

The boy's head jerked up to face him.

"Yeah…and wow that joint attack we did at the end to finish him!" There was less enthusiasm in his voice now, as if he were putting on the excitement and as Kratos stood, he saw tears gathering in the corners of the boy's eyes.

Kratos frowned as he looked down at the troubled boy. He never had been good at handling sensitive, emotional moments, even with the people he knew well and Lloyd most certainly did not come under that heading. Nevertheless, the boy needed some form of comfort and he supposed that he was going to have to give it. Stretching slightly, he took a few steps bridging the gap between his and Lloyd's bed before sitting beside the boy.

"You feel guilty for taking Magnius' life." It was a statement, not a question and Lloyd looked over.

"No…I…"

At Kratos' raised brow he gave in. "Well, yeah. I mean, I know he deserved it and everything but…"

"He was still a living creature."

Lloyd nodded miserably. "Maybe I'm just weak…I mean, you and the professor aren't upset."

"I cannot speak for Raine, though I imagine she's merely hiding what she feels, but…Lloyd, it is human for you to feel this way, it is a sign of your compassion, your strength of heart. I would be…concerned if you didn't show a reaction such as this."

"What about you though? You're not crying or anything…"

"I…" Kratos sighed heavily "I am a mercenary, Lloyd, killing is part of my job…and it is not an aspect that I enjoy, or even wish to have to do…but it's led me to become less responsive to it. That is something I would never wish upon you, especially not at your age."

"You…don't think it's a bad thing that I feel guilty?"

"Providing you are strong enough to cope with that feeling and that you are willing to bear the responsibility of his life, then no it is no bad thing."

A small smiled broke out over Lloyd's lips and he nodded. "Thanks Kratos."

The mercenary nodded, preparing to stand when a knock on the door made him look over. "Enter."

The door swung inwards slowly and Raine peeked around the corner. "Ah…I hope I'm not interrupting…may I have a word with you, Kratos?"

Kratos nodded, standing from the bed.

"Get some sleep, Lloyd, we'll be rising early tomorrow." The door clicked shut behind him as he turned to Raine.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No…I was just wondering if you'd care to take a walk with me."

A smile, undeniable this time, curved Kratos' lips and he nodded, following Raine outside. The air was close tonight, the sky screened by thick grey clouds, tinted deep blue in the night's sky and the humidity made Raine remove her jacket as she scaled the building where she had sat with Kratos just a day or so ago. The mercenary followed her silently, as Noishe looked up to them and barked, seemingly excited at the prospect of them alone together.

"Is Lloyd alright?" Raine asked as Kratos settled himself beside her, and she noticed he sat at least as close as she had the other day.

"He's feeling the first effects of taking another's life, now that the adrenaline has worn off."

Raine nodded.

"This is why I feared for the children to come…" he mused, relating back to his original misgivings about the childrens' presence.

"Oh?"

"They shouldn't be subjected to these events at such young ages; they may not be able to cope with it."

"I know what you mean, Genis has taken it badly too…"

"And you left him alone?"

"He asked for some time to be alone."

"I see."

"You forget something, though, Kratos…"

"What's that?"

"I'm only 23 and as an elf, I'm not as mature as a human would be at the same age."

"Maybe that would be so in most elven women your age, but you are an exception to that rule."

"You mean I'm more mature than most?"

"Undoubtedly, the fact that you have not yet shown a sign of weakness on this journey, especially after recent events, is a sign of that."

Raine sighed. "Just because I don't show it…"

"I know."

"I….condemned goodness knows how many Desian's to death by setting that facility to self-destruct. Even if they were doing wrong, they're still living creatures…"

"They had ten minutes to escape, and the facility had alarms to tell the remaining employees to evacuate. Even so, if you have killed, in doing so you have saved countless others from torture and death. You made a difficult choice, have carried it out and are dealing with the aftermath well. It is admirable that you are able to do so, especially at such an age."

Her lips twisted slightly.

"'At such an age'? You're not that much older than me, surely?"

There was a pause. "No…that is true, I am only 28 after all but…I feel older than I am."

"I can empathise with that. I think having to raise Genis from a newborn has taken its toll on me."

"May I ask…what happened to lead you to such action?"

"I…" Raine looked away, before averting her eyes to the sky, not wanting to answer and show a weakness to this man who was winding his way between her defences. She felt the resolve to lure him closer in order to discover his motives fade to merely the desire to lure him closer to just be near him, to get to know him for who he was. And then, as he shifted, she realised that this was an exact parallel to the other night. She had asked him to share something of himself, and he had, however vague…it was only right for her to do the same.

"Genis and I were abandoned. He was a newborn, I was 9 years old. I never understood why she left us…"

"Parents often act in ways that their children cannot understand."

"That doesn't make it right." She hissed.

"No, it doesn't," Kratos conceded "But although I do not know, it would seem that perhaps your mother did it to protect you in some way."

She snorted. "Doesn't seem like a very good way to protect your child…"

His head fell as she spoke. "No…perhaps it isn't."

Raine looked over to her companion, the way his head was hanging, auburn hair screening his face from her view, but she thought she could see him chewing on his lower lip.

"Kratos…are you…"

He lifted his head. "I think fatigue must be catching up with me. I apologise but I think I should retire for the night."

"Yes…I think I should too."

He nodded and she watched him as he climbed to his feet, taking a deep breath of the stuffy air, straightening his back as his bare toes curled against the roof tiles. He winced suddenly as his chest rose dramatically, hand reaching to it, pressing harshly.

"Kratos?" she asked, standing, concerning playing over her face.

"Ah…it's nothing, just a scratch from Magnius."

"And by 'just a scratch' you mean it's a gaping hole in your chest. I know men's code when they're trying to be tough."

The mercenary gave her a look that was a mixture of offence and amusement.

"It's nothing, I can heal." He lifted his right hand to his chest, letting the other fall, dried blood clinging to the palm of his glove.

Raine stepped forward, grasping his hand as it came to rest over his chest, not even noticing she had done so. Kratos had though, and his eyebrows lifted slightly.

"Let me."

"I'm capable of doing it myself."

"I know, but I can give you three good reasons as to why you should let me do it instead."

"And those would be?"

"One, you're tired, more so than I, so your abilities may be affected and a healing spell gone wrong can be dangerous. Two, I'm the healer in this group and three…"

"And three?" he questioned, voice jocular.

"Three," she repeated "I haven't done anything all day. I didn't help in the battle with Magnius…so let me do this to make up for it. I'm in this party because I can be useful...I'm not here to tag along and I take my responsibilities seriously."

Kratos stood for a moment, her small hand wrapped over his until she realised she was holding it and quickly released his hand. He was unsure as to whether to allow himself this weakness but…it wouldn't hurt anything and besides this _was _her job, technically.

"Very well then." He consented dropping his hand from his chest and letting Raine step forward to peer at the wound.

She nodded, looking through the tear in his clothing where the axe blade had sheared through the material. The lack of light, however, made it difficult to study the injury.

"Remove your shirt."

If his eyebrows lifted any higher, Raine thought as she looked into the swordsman's surprised face, they would disappear into his hair line. Though, she couldn't blame him…the request was rather brazen.

"I need to study the wound to make sure it hasn't become infected. If it does and I heal it, it could cause complications." She explained.

"The Exsphere should stop infections."

"The Exsphere's power is not absolute. I need to check it first." She insisted, giving him a stern look that Kratos was sure she reserved for misbehaving children in the classroom. It was, however, a very determined look and one he wasn't sure he could either resist or deny.

"Fine."

Slowly, he reached up to his collar, pulling the white material apart before moving steadily down, opening the hidden fastenings down the front of his shirt.

Raine watched him quietly, interest peaking as his hand moved beneath his collarbones, exposing the pale skin of his chest to her. True, she had seen him shirtless before, but he had had his legs pulled up to his chest and she hadn't been able to see the details of his chest.

He pulled the material apart when he had reached the bottom, un-tucking his shirt from beneath the belts about his waist, turning so that the faint moonlight could fall against his bare torso, illuminating it for her to study the wound.

He was a shade darker than her, Raine thought as she stepped forwards, looking at the expanse of alabaster skin pulled taught over the well developed muscles of his chest. It took a great deal of will to remain professional and not look down to the firm, curving lines of his toned stomach as she stepped in front of him and lifted her hand to the wound on his chest.

It was a vicious looking injury, an open wound perhaps 10 inches long, at least an inch wide. Not surprising considering the size of the weapon that had caused it. The muscle beneath, a mass of red cords had been split cleanly, congealed blood gathering in the pits of the wound and coating the outer edges, creating a border between the wound and the green-purple bruise that surrounded it. She was surprised that he had been able to cope with an injury that size, never mind the pain it must have caused and she lifted her hand to cover it summoning her mana as her fingertips rested on either side of the gash, feeling the faint pulse of his heartbeat beneath warm skin.

The green-white light of mana emerged from her palm, spreading over the wound and closing it, leaving only a faint white line behind. She let her hand drop away after a moment. "It shouldn't have scarred." she informed him and the man merely shrugged.

"It would just be another one of many."

Raine's eyes flicked over his chest, confirming what he had said. There were at least half a dozen scars adorning his chest and shoulders alone, of varying shapes, sizes and textures.

"That's quite a large amount of scars…how long have you been a mercenary?"

The question seemed to catch him off guard as he pulled his shirt on. "Since I was young."

She nodded in response, before turning and looking out over the muggy landscape.

"It's late. We really should head back now."

Kratos nodded in agreement, pulling his shirt closed and wrapping his arms about it to keep it closed, following her back into the house of salvation. Her room was directly across from his and he turned to look at her in the darkness of the corridor.

"Well…goodnight Kratos." She murmured, careful not to wake the other guests. He nodded, smiling slightly in the dark.

"Goodnight Raine…" she nodded and pushed her way into her room. "…sleep well." He murmured to the closed door.

Turning back to his own door, he shook his head, cursing himself as he opened the door, cursing his affinity of falling for the women who he would only ever hurt.

--

Morning broke too early for Raine's liking, once again, and as she pulled herself out of bed to wake Genis and prepare for the day ahead, she groaned. It was her own fault for staying out with Kratos so late, but she had felt an insupressable urge to speak with him, though she didn't know why. Grabbing a pail of luke-warm water, she poured it into the basin in the room in order to wash, finding black flakes clinging to her hand. It took a moment for her to realise that it was Kratos' blood from the night before and she hurried to wash it off and dress before leaving Genis to go about his own routine.

Hearing familiar voices from the prayer room below, she headed downstairs, finding Kratos and Lloyd speaking with one of the priests. Lloyd was looking rather bemused, whereas the older man appeared to be plain annoyed.

"We'll ask Genis if he can seal it with magic." Lloyd shrugged, looking up to the other man who remained silent. The priest standing in front of him was looking somewhat bashful and Kratos turned away, lifting his head to meet Raine's gaze.

"Ah, good morning Kratos, Lloyd."

Kratos, as always, merely nodded as Lloyd turned. "Oh, hey professor."

"Have you inquired about the Spiritua statue?"

"Yeah, but that's a fake," Lloyd hitched his thumb towards the statue "Apparently the halo of the original is made of diamond so they took it with them on a pilgrimage to Thoda Island and…"

"And?"

"The priest dropped it in the geyser," Kratos finished and Raine suddenly understood why the priest was so red faced. "We'll have to retrieve it though; the fake is unlikely to fool that old man."

"We…we're going to Thoda Island?" Raine blanched.

"At some point, we have some more pressing issues to attend to first, I believe."

Neil, Colette and Genis chose that exact moment to walk down the stairs, greeting the other three as they did.

"Alright, we should head out for Palmacosta." Lloyd scanned over the group quickly before turning towards the door, leading the way outside, guiding the group to the coastal city. It didn't take long before they reached the city, heading straight for the Governor-General's office. There was nobody present in the upstairs office and after Colette noticing a noise from below, they headed down to the basement apprehensively.

A Desian soldier, dressed in the purple uniform of Magnius' ranch was speaking threateningly to the man as he asked about his wife's 'return to original form'. They seemed not to have noticed the presence of the group and after pulling a bag of coins from the Governor-General, the Desian turned and left through a hidden passage.

Lloyd stepped forwards brazenly towards the man, the rest of the group trailing in his wake. Kratos remained at the very back, eyeing the brown blanket that hung over one of the cells suspiciously.

"Governor-General," Neil breathed, his soft voice hurt "…I can't believe you've been working together with the Desians."

"So that's it," Dorr hissed, fists clenching "You betrayed me!"

"Governor-General! The Chosen destroyed the ranch for us. Please, stop this foolishness…"

Kilia, standing beside Dorr, gasped at the news of the destroyed ranch. Raine slid her eyes over to the small child, finding her reaction to the positive statement odd.

"What?…What have you done?! You…destroyed Clara's hopes of living!" Dorr's eyes had widened, bearing a resemblance to a frightened child.

"I don't know who that is," Lloyd explained "but we saved everyone at the ranch. Except for Chocolat."

"…Saved?!"

Raine frowned as Dorr's face took on an expression of both incredulity and insanity.

" Th…that's funny! All right, then! Just try saving Clara!" he finished, turning away to stand before the cell covered with the brown tarpaulin. Glaring at the group he grabbed the material, tearing it from its rails to reveal the creature caged inside.

"Save my wife!" he demanded, gesturing to the grotesquely mutated creature.

Raine was sure she couldn't be the only one who had heard it, the loud exhalation of breath from Kratos who stood behind her. Coming from him, it was quite a reaction, but it seemed, to her at least, to hint at more emotions than just simple shock or horror at the appearance of the creature. Nondescript as the sound had been, she couldn't decipher exactly what might have caused the noise…but she was fairly willing to bet anger and sorrow, as well as horror were mixed into it. She managed to catch sight of his reflection in a shattered mirror that hung on the wall, watching distress contort his face.

Genis was screaming, backing away from the cage "Wh…what's that monster?!"

"She's crying…she's crying out in pain… You mustn't call her a monster…" Colette scolded, and Raine saw, in the same reflection, Kratos' face fall before a look of agreement gained a hold on him, before fading back into neutrality.

"That's right. This is what's become of my wife, Clara!"

Raine narrowed her eyes as Dorr spat at Lloyd, explaining what had happened to his wife. She could understand, if not empathise, his desire to save her, but it was a self-ish desire and when so much rested on his shoulders, as cold as it may have sounded, he should have acted for the greater good. His wife was probably already dead, with no return from that horrendous form. It would be kinder to put the poor woman out of her misery.

"Stop talking like you're the only victim! I'm sorry about your wife. But think of all those people who believed in you, only to be sent off to the ranch! Any of them may have wound up just like your wife!" Lloyd had stepped forwards, clenching his fists as he began to lecture the older man.

"Silence boy! Stop acting like your justice is absolute!"

"Where do you get off?" Lloyd asked, voice dropping lower in anger "Don't even start spewing the word, "justice"! I hate that word! If you wanted to save your wife, you should have resigned your position as Governor-General and searched for a cure, or help, or whatever! You're a worthless jerk who couldn't give up his social status even for his own wife!"

"Lloyd, please stop! Not everyone's strong enough to stand up against the Desians. Please, stop this!…" Colette suddenly begged as Dorr's head fell and he looked away from the group.

"Colette…"

"I'll find it for you! If there's a medicine that can save your wife, I promise to find it! So please…"

A typical Colette-esque response but as Raine looked up into that fragment of mirror, she saw the returned look of agreement on Kratos' face. And he had said he had lost someone that meant a lot to him a few days ago…had Kratos had a wife whom he'd lost to a disease? It seemed plausible. They didn't know anything from his past and he was closed-off at the best of times when amongst the group, perhaps the death of a partner could cause that. Or maybe it was just a small part of it.

Her eyes averted back to the scene when she heard a gasp from Dorr, looking over to see the blonde man falling to the floor, Kilia's hand in the small of his back.

"What are you doing?!" Lloyd asked, looking alarmed. His hand had fallen to his sword and Raine heard Kratos shift behind her as if he were doing the same.

"How could you do that to your own father?!" Genis cried to the girl.

"That's a laugh." The girl scoffed, closing her eyes.

They watched with apprehension as her blonde her darkened to grey, hardening before turning into yellow coils. Her body lengthened, clothes fading as arms and legs stretched becoming thin and purple, tipped with large red claws. Her torso, encircled by white, rib-like, bands of bone seemed almost too frail to support the rest of her gangly body and large, alien head.

"I am a servant of Pronyma," she explained, voice high and warped "leader of the Five Grand Cardinals who rule over the Desians. I was merely assigned to observe the new human cultivation technique, developed by Magnius. There's no way that a superior half-elf such as I, could have a fool of a father like this!"

"You…" Lloyd breathed, wrenching swords from scabbards, dashing towards the girl.

"Neil!" Rained called to the man as Kratos shot past her, sword drawn, "Get Dorr out of the way!"

The assistant governor-general looked unsure of himself, wavering for a moment until he saw Kratos leap over the prone form of the man, backing off as Kilia attacked him, almost stumbling over the body.

Raine surged forwards, helping drag the limp form out of the way before beginning to cast her own spells, sending a protective barrier over the group of fighters, preventing any dire injuries occurring as red claws scraped across bodies. She turned her eyes to Colette, standing in the corner trying to access her angelic powers even as the demonic half-elf approached her.

Sprinting past Genis, still casting his own spell, she ran for the girl, skidding to a halt in front of her. With one single, smooth sweep of her staff into Kilia the creature fell back on the floor, sprawled from the force of the hit. Tentacles were snaking their way from her back, writhing about the creature as it crawled to its feet.

Light bloomed behind Raine, pink feathers shooting past her a moment later to slam into their opponent, mana slicing through her body and she visibly recoiled, screeching against the pure feathers. She couldn't cope with the purity of the mana flowing through those feathers.

Backing off as Colette rushed forwards, Raine lifted her staff again, closing her eyes as she began to cast her own spell again, wishing that she could use an offensive spell to help the party.

The sounds of swords meeting flesh and bone, the rough cries from Lloyd and Kratos filled her ears, the vibrations of footsteps through the floor beneath her feet.

The mana shifted as it gathered about her, charged with a power she hadn't felt from it before, something violent…offensive and she searched amongst that feeling as the sounds of the battle echoed around her, searching for a title to put to that namelessly energy that swirled about her like light. It came to her after only a second, as she clamped down upon that feeling of mana as it welled about her, reaching a peak at which it had to be released.

She thrust her staff into the air, eyes locking upon to the enemy as she charged at Kratos, claws outstretched.

"Photon!"

Light burst into life before them, ancient runes circling about the creature trapped in a ring of light as the mana was drawn to it before exploding with a flash.

The creature fell; its body singed as Raine herself stumbled, feeling the mana drain away abruptly.

Four sets of eyes lifted, meeting hers, surprise playing in them, perhaps even a little uncertainty. But there, in the deep garnet of the man standing before the singed body, was the definite look of being impressed. He turned away after a moment, a smile flickering over his lips before he turned to look at Neil, crouched in the corner with Dorr and the smile instantly disappeared. The blonde was barely breathing.

"This can't be…" A voice hissed and the man turned to glare down at the body at his feet….except it wasn't there. It had crawled to the cage containing Clara. "Fine…then, I'll set this monster free and let it kill you!"

The latch on the lock clicked open beneath the claw of the creature before she dropped to the floor again, finally dead. Clara stomped forwards, flinging the flimsy barred door aside easily as Raine edged to join the rest of the group who stood, aghast as the creature advanced upon them.

"No, not again…! Do I have to kill another innocent victim?"

The creature had stopped before Lloyd, an oversized hand lifted to strike him, when a firm voice called out to the monster.

"Stop!"

Clara swung her head, singular red eye rolling to stare at the blonde girl who had issued the command, as if trying to decide whether to kill her or not. She did nothing for a moment before turning away, stomping through the hidden passage.

Kratos watched the creature go as it lumbered awkwardly, body bent backwards from the weight of its oversized head and arms. The others had crowded around the governor-general, but he didn't really see the point. Considering the amount of blood pouring from the wound at his back, the man would be dead any moment.

Raine was leaning over the man, attempting to heal him at Colette's request, but she was struggling. No matter how much mana she conjured and poured over the man, the bleeding wouldn't cease. She eventually pulled away, looking directly at Kratos and shaking her head, looking distressed. It was a look he was unaccustomed to seeing from her, and the sight made him uncomfortable.

Dorr was struggling to breathe now, his few words coming out strained before he finally collapsed, body falling limply against the stone floor.

Raine had turned away, looking to her staff. "…My healing arts cannot even save one single life?" she murmured to herself.

"Professor Sage? Did you say something?" Colette questioned and Raine quickly shook her head.

"No…it's nothing."

"We should continue on," Kratos broke in, stopping Colette from interrogating Raine further "It's still early and we can probably reach Thoda Island if we move out now."

Nodding in agreement, the group filed out, Lloyd taking the lead as was custom as Kratos walked beside the troubled Raine, keeping an eye on her as they walked.

* * *

There really is absolutely nothing new to say at this point. I'm sure you all know what I'm gonna say by now, so I won't bother :)

Please push my pretty purple button.


	12. A Fair Share

A.N: The usual. Thanks for reviews etc. etc.

Enjoy!

* * *

A Fair Share

Birds chirruped loudly in the midday sun, squawking with surprise and taking flight as Lloyd led his group into a clearing among the woods they were passing through. They were making their way to the Thoda Island dock but the younger swordsman pulled them up at Kratos' call.

He sighed, looking up through the canopy to the blue sky above them. It had just gone midday and given that they hadn't yet eaten and they had had a frantic morning, he was starving, a fact punctuated by the loud grumbling of the stomach. Which is probably why Kratos had called them to a stop.

The mercenary was walking alongside Professor Sage, keeping a careful eye on the woman who had been silent since that morning, despite the various attempts to rouse her into conversation. Kratos was the only one who hadn't attempted, but he potentially had the right idea. Raine was not the sort of person to speak of her personal problems freely or openly.

Settling onto the floor, he watched as Genis set up a fire, lighting it with his fireball attack, and quickly making a rich soup in the pot. The rest of the group had filed in slowly and Raine, finally deciding to speak, had taken Colette to the side. Lloyd was fairly sure it wasn't to do with the professor wanting to talk about her own problems.

Genis sighed as he stirred the broth, causing both Lloyd and Kratos to look over to him.

"I can't believe how much we've done in the last two days." He murmured, sniffing at the meal.

"Yeah I mean we've destroyed a human ranch. How many people can claim that?" Lloyd grinned, looking over to his friend.

"Things didn't turn out brilliantly though. The way things wound up, Chocolat left without hearing from us what really happened."

"...But...what she did hear was still the truth." Lloyd looked away suddenly, into the trees, voice heavy.

"But it's the Desians who are at fault! It's not your fault!"

"Incompetent good intentions will only bring tragedy." Kratos stated, flicking a speck of dirt from his gloves.

"What did you say?!" Genis balked, turning to glare at Kratos for insulting his friend. And to think he had thought the mercenary wasn't that bad a guy.

"If you intend to do what is right, you need the strength to accompany that." The man explained, looking up to meet Genis' gaze calmly "You lacked that. You were too weak."

"How can you say that?! Lloyd was... Lloyd was..." Genis trailed off, clearly not being able to find a rebuke.

"Genis, it's okay. I don't like to admit it, but Kratos is right," Lloyd looked back to the other two males, meeting Kratos gaze as he turned it upon him. "I won't forget what I felt back there. I won't forget that Marble and the people of the village lost their lives."

"Yes, that's right," Kratos nodded, and the approval in his face was clear as he regarded his apprentice "Power is more than just your physical strength. The strength to acknowledge your crimes. The strength to remember them. You must have them as well."

Lloyd seemed to flush under Kratos' near praise and he quickly shuffled over to Genis, thrusting his face towards the soup to get a smell as Genis tried to push him away.

Raine and Colette were walking back towards them as Kratos shifted and Genis began to dish out the soup.

"Is everything alright?" Lloyd asked the women and Colette nodded.

"The professor and I were talking about…uh, girly things." She lied.

Kratos lifted an eyebrow upon hearing the word 'girly' in reference to Raine and as she sat down beside him, near Genis, he mouthed the word at her questioningly. Raine merely shrugged and looked away.

With the professor in her silent mood still, Kratos turned away, sipping at the hot soup cautiously as the kids chatted with one another. He suddenly realised what it must be like to try and start a conversation with him, after all, he rarely spoke more than he had to…or at least, he did with everyone but Raine.

Lifting the bowl to his lips, he quickly finished the rest of the soup before lifting his head to look at the sky, watching clouds drift across it lazily, before trailing his eyes across to note the sun's position.

"We should get moving soon," he suggested, replacing the bowl on the floor, swilling water in it to clean it. "We can make it to Thoda Island dock in about an hour, but it may take some time to retrieve that statue."

Raine seemed to suddenly jerk back into reality. "What? We're going to Thoda Island?!"

"Yes," Kratos intoned slowly "we have to retrieve the statue."

"When was this decided?"

"This morning, as we left Palmacosta. You were…preoccupied at the time."

"So you made the decision without me?"

"We had little choice. We have to continue with our journey at a decent pace or else this land will die. You know this."

The Professor didn't say anything in response, though her body language made it quite clear that she was displeased with the fact the decision had been made without her. Or at least, Kratos assumed that was what it was.

With the meal finished, the group stood and Kratos strode to the head of the group when he found that Lloyd wasn't sure what direction they were supposed to be travelling in. He was aware, as he walked, of Raine at the back of the group, still lost in thought or emotion, whatever it was and made a conscious decision to give her some space. Angering her would not help anything.

After some time, the small white and blue hut of the Thoda Island dock came into view, where grass met sand and Lloyd returned to the head of the group, aware now of where they needed to go. With the building in sight, they slowed their pace slightly as the ground sloped steeply towards the coast.

The dock itself was little more than a hut, similar to those of the houses of salvation, and a small pier. Where the boats were, Kratos didn't notice, but he figured they had to be there somewhere as they made their way inside the hut to hire the boats.

Raine could only feel a deep sense of dread at thought of travelling across the sea again, and it only intensified as they paid and left the building, heading onto the pier. The fact that there were no boats in sight only made it worse as she trailed reluctantly behind the rest of the group. She watched as Lloyd approached the end of the pier and stopped, looking into the water before looking back to the group and back again, clearly confused. As Raine made her way up the pier, she suddenly realised why.

Her gut twisted.

"It's a …washtub?" the boy questioned as he stared down at the overly-large bucket.

"Yep, it's a washtub…" Genis confirmed.

"Washtubs, hmm…" Kratos mused, his tone thoughtful. Even in a state approaching panic, Raine had to lift an eyebrow at the tone of that statement. He had sounded a little _too _interested in the object and she hoped that there was a memory to accompany that tone which explained it. And if there wasn't…she didn't want to know. Leave it as one of his little quirks and peculiarities, up there with a hatred of tomatoes.

"Wow! This looks like it'll be fun!" Colette chirped, leaning over to look at one of the washtubs, coming dangerously close to toppling in. It snapped Raine back into reality and she took a step back.

"I…I'm going to wait here. Go on ahead without me."

"What's wrong, Professor Sage?" Lloyd asked, looking over his shoulder to his teacher, along with everyone else.

"N...Nothing," she lied "I'm not getting in that thing."

"It looks fun! Come on, let's get in!" Colette edged closer to the side of the pier.

"Yeah, Raine." Genis stepped back towards his sister, taking her hand and giving it a forceful tug.

The idea of being dragged into that tiny, unreliable tub on potentially turbulent seas sent a bolt of cold fear down Raine's spine, shaking her vocal chords as it went to emit a high scream.

The rest of the group stared, looking shocked at the normally reserved woman's shriek and her blue eyes flicked up to the faces of everyone present, shame blooming in her stomach when her gaze fell onto Kratos' unusually expressive face, eyebrows lowered, lips parted.

"Professor Sage…are you…afraid of water or something?" Lloyd asked, turning to look at her.

"I…I was just starting to say, 'Ahh, this should be fun!'" She lied and, tugging her hand from her brother's grasp, lifted her head as she strode past the rest of the group, stepping down into one of the washtubs. It wobbled under her weight and she had to swallow back a wave of nausea as she sat down.

"Um…sure." Lloyd shrugged, turning to climb into his own washtub.

Kratos shook his head as he looked at the woman in the tub, a somewhat disappointed breath passing his lips. He was pleased that, despite her obvious phobia, she had gone ahead and entered the boat, but the fact that she had showed her fear in the first place disappointed him. But, she was only human, or indeed elven, she was allowed her mistakes, so long as they didn't cost them any.

As he clambered down into his own boat and pushed off from the pier, following Lloyd and Colette in their shared boat, Genis and Raine in the other, he was pleased for her that the seas today were calm and relatively still. It was little more than an issue of comfort, but he found the idea of her being displeased to his own discomfort. Raine may be more than able, and indeed willing, to take the bad issues of this journey upon her, but that didn't mean she should have to.

His thoughts drifted back to that morning, and he made the decision to speak with her again, just as they had the night before.

Before long, they were reaching the opposite shore and Kratos pushed deep into the water to reach the shore shortly after Lloyd. He stepped up onto the dock easily with one stride, muscles easily coping with the height of the step and he moved fluidly onto shore, standing behind Lloyd and Colette as Genis and Raine approached.

The younger of the Sage siblings clambered onto the deck with little difficulty.

"We've…finally…arrived…" Raine panted, her skin taking on a faint, unfetching green hue.

"Here, Professor."

Lloyd was leaning down, taking Raine's hands and helping pull her onto the dock, apparently not noticing Kratos' stepping forwards to do the same. He backed off as the woman was pulled onto the docks and thanked Lloyd.

Raine remained on all fours for a moment, breathing deeply as Lloyd backed away giving her space. She pushed herself up after a moment, and regarded the rest of the group.

"That was a rare experience." Kratos commented, looking at the small assembly, who murmured in agreement. Raine's tone implied that it was an experience she'd rather not have gone through but…they had little choice on this journey. Sacrifices must be made by all the members present eventually.

Group assembled and, in the case of Raine, feeling better, they turned and climbed the short rocky path to the upper level of the Island where the geyser was situated and they gathered around the barrier to watch. There was nothing for a moment, save for the talk of tour guides and tourists, when a low rumbling shook the earth, growing louder until a jet of water burst from the pool below, steam and water spraying, spattering the ground and surrounding people.

Kratos wiped a fleck of water of his cheek irritably, fingering the tiny spot where it had scolded him, turning the skin red.

Colette looked up to him, about to open her mouth to ask about his wellbeing no doubt, when she turned, something catching her eye as Genis lectured Lloyd about geysers.

"What is it, Chosen?"

"That sign…over on that lookout platform… it looks kind of familiar…maybe it's just my imagination."

"Perhaps, but we can take a look at it anyway."

Pushing himself away from the railings Kratos headed for the platform Colette had pointed out, Raine and the others in tow. There was a gap in the railings, and Kratos was about to comment on that when Lloyd's outburst interrupted him.

"Hey, look! The statue!"

"So all I have to do is to stop the geyser with my magic, right?" Genis questioned, looking to the statue on the other side of the geyser's pool.

"Yeah. While it's stopped, I'll go down there along the rocky parts and get the statue."

"The ice I can make will…well, it's just an estimate, but I don't think it'll last more than about 30 seconds."

Lloyd nodded, walking to the edge of the cliff where there were no railings, preparing to jump down as soon as Genis cast his ice spell. Colette was wringing her hands worriedly, cautioning her friend.

"Even my healing arts have their limits." Raine reminded, and there was an odd heaviness and shame within her voice. Kratos cast her a glance, before turning back to the matter in hand. He wouldn't confront Raine about her mood here, in front of the children.

"You have a bad habit of getting cocky. Be careful." He advised Lloyd, watching as the boy nodded and Genis cast his spell.

Within seconds the roiling water was encased under a thick sheet of white ice, glinting in the sunlight, and he heard the crowd gasp in surprise as Lloyd jumped down onto the ice, skating across it with an uncharacteristic grace.

Moments later he was scaling the rocks on the other side of the pool, grabbing the statue before turning and sliding smoothly back across the ice, throwing the statue up to the rest of the group at the top. Kratos caught the statue, handing it to Raine and crouching at the edge of the cliff, grasping Lloyd's wrist and pulling him up as the ice below melted and the geyser prepared to erupt again.

"Thanks." The teen rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as Kratos released his wrist. The mercenary gave a nod of acknowledgement before scanning the area. Lloyd followed the suit, noticing that the older man was staring at the nearby sign and he approached it.

"Hey," he announced upon glancing beside the sign "Isn't this a whatchamcallit stone?

"Oracle stone." Kratos supplied helpfully, receiving a glare from Lloyd, their brief period of camaraderie broken.

"That must be why it looked familiar!" Colette exclaimed, leaning over to place her hand on the stone.

"So this is the Seal of Water!" Raine stated, glancing around the rocky area to the cave in the wall on the far side of the geyser.

"Aww…that sucks. I didn't even need to get that Spiritua Statue!"

Kratos rolled his eyes, looking to Raine who had lifted her own heavenwards, as if seeking some answer or strength from the goddess Martel.

"Cheer up, Lloyd. Just think of it as giving you the opportunity to have fun riding in the washtubs." And now it was Raine rolling her eyes, apparently not agreeing with Colette.

Kratos turned away, looking at the mana bridge that was forming over the pool and he called the rest of the group's attention to it, placing a foot on it cautiously before stepping forward more firmly when it held his weight. The rest of them followed quickly, Colette and Lloyd leading the way, looking down at the water below them as they crossed the translucent bridge. Raine was doing the same, though without the look of fascination.

"I would advise against looking at it if it makes you uneasy." Kratos murmured to her as he walked alongside her again. Raine didn't reply, but she did lift her head to look away from the water below. She let out an audible sigh of relief when she reached the solid ground on the other side. She looked around with interest, noting a faint writing over the top of the cave's entrance, and the usual fanatic, ruin-passion lit in her eyes again, banishing the look of distress and trepidation that she had carried with her all morning. It suited her better, Kratos observed, to see the young woman happy, even if it was overzealous love of ruins that caused it. But, if it made her comfortable and happy, excited even, then he supposed it was worth it.

"Excellent…Now, let us begin the excavation at once!" Raine stated, clapping her hands as she looked at the cave's entrance.

"We're not here to excavate anything…" Lloyd reminded as Raine dashed inside the temple, leading the rest of the group in.

Kratos glanced around the inside of the seal as he entered, watching Raine, Colette and Genis running ahead Raine was lecturing her students about some historical fact surrounding the Thoda Geyser, pointing out something on the walls again.

The temple was stuffy, almost hot, the air damp and humid, the smell of salt prevailing above all else. The sound of gushing water rushed at them from every direction, the faint cry of some monster or other occasionally echoing through the seal, reverberating along the cave walls. Everything was lit with a subtle blue and white hue, as if it were a moonlit painting, the jut of the rocky walls lit by the mysterious glow. White light pattered across walls, moving as it was reflected off the water's surface below them.

The mercenary wasn't paying much attention to the inside of the temple at the moment though, and he stopped, head turned back towards the entrance, listening intently for something.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd asked, looking back to his new teacher having noticed he had stopped.

"…It looks like that girl didn't make it inside."

"What girl?"

"That assassin. The one after the Chosen."

"She followed us?!"

Kratos gave Lloyd a look that was equal parts disappointment and pity. "You didn't notice?"

"I…I was busy thinking and stuff." Lloyd stuttered, trying to excuse himself. Kratos lifted a dubious eyebrow.

"Never let your guard down, ever. Assuming you want to survive."

"Oh, yes, of course, you're sooo perfect," Lloyd huffed glaring at the older man's superior attitude "You'd never screw up."

The lifted eyebrow dropped instantly at the words, and an expression of pain flashed across Kratos' face briefly.

"Even I make mistakes. I made a terrible one…"

"What?"

Kratos shook his head, dismissing Lloyd's concern "…Nothing. I shouldn't have said that. Forgive me."

He walked past Lloyd without further comment, aware of the boy mumbling to himself, but finding his own mind suddenly assaulted with too many thoughts to make out what he was saying.

Raine lifted her head as Kratos rejoined them. She had heard the comment he had made to Lloyd, and, given the information he had already told her she could make an educated guess as to what he was referring to. The pain that had flitted across his face, his heavy tone when he had spoken was proof of that…but what she couldn't understand was why he was telling Lloyd…unless…

She recalled the sense of familiarity she had had upon first meeting him and as her eyes flicked between the approaching mercenary and Lloyd, she found herself startled. The face shape of both males was practically identical, the build, the odd red tint to otherwise brown eyes…they weren't…

"Shall we proceed?" Kratos asked, coming to a stop beside her and she nodded dumbly, too shocked by the revelation to speak.

They made their way through the seal at a moderate pace, activating the platform that would allow them to face the seal's guardian by filling the urns downstairs. Aside from the attacks by bizarre octopi and seahorses, starfish and the various other creatures, there were few engaging events and the group found themselves relieved to be trudging towards the final guardian. They stopped briefly to rest before facing the guardian, allowing Raine to heal them before the fight before stepping onto the transporter pad that would take them to the final room.

The final chamber wasn't dissimilar from that in the fire temple, a long enclosed hall with an altar surrounded by fluted columns at the far end of the room. The only difference would be the colour scheme, blue and white here, instead of red and black.

They stopped before the altar, tensing in expectation of the battle.

"I feel…mana welling up… It's the same as the Seal of Fire." Genis stated, twirling the kendama in his hand uneasily as blue light poured from the altar, materialising into the forms of their opponents. Just as in the fire seal, there were two smaller versions of the main creature present as well as Kratos quickly divided the group into parties to take on the creatures. As Colette and Genis took on one of the smaller creatures each, he and Lloyd made for the Adolucia, Raine casting healing and protective spells.

It was Kratos ploughed his sword into the tail of Adolucia and heard a high female shriek from behind him, spun to face the noise to see Colette lying prone on the floor and Raine's magic healing her, he appreciated the woman's merit. He had his own healing abilities, but they were not nearly as strong as hers, and less specialised. Raine had researched many ways of curing effects other than just basic wounds with her skills, and it was invaluable in this group.

He grunted suddenly as the tail of Adolucia slapped across his face, sending him hurtling back as the razor edge of the tail carved a gash into his cheek. He landed heavily on the floor, air knocked from his lungs by the force, and felt soft, warm mana enveloping him, the wound on his cheek healing without trace, just as the one on his chest had the other day.

He leapt to his feet as he felt air re-enter his lungs and, nodding in thanks to Raine, charged forwards towards the large creature as lightening shot down, frying the remaining Amphitra, blackening its corpse.

Lloyd was hacking at the creature's arm, throwing up a sudden shield as a jet of water burst from underneath him, the creature's red eyes focused on him and he used its distraction to his advantage, swiping a demon fang at it, following it up with a sonic thrust attack as Raine cast Photon.

The creature reeled, staggering backwards through the air as Genis cast lightening upon it again and Colette used her angelic attacks. Except that it wasn't lightening that Genis was using, it was something bigger, forming a large coloured circle about the enemy.

Kratos bolted from the circle instantly, calling Lloyd out of the way even as the hairs on the back of his neck prickled with the electricity charging in the air.

Seconds later a blade was falling to the floor, in the centre of the circle, pinning the Adolucia to the floor as lightening weaved from the blade before concentrating into one large blow, firing and filling the area with blinding light.

When the glow from the attack had faded, the creature had disappeared, its mana dissipated before he had time to look and there was Genis, a smug look on his face at finishing the creature off.

Kratos would have commented, were it not for Colette praying at the altar already. She released her wings after a moment, beating them gently to lift her into the air to face lord Remiel as he appeared.

"You have done well, Chosen One, Colette. The second seal is now released."

"Thank you, Father."

The angel seemed somewhat perturbed at the use of the title as he looked upon the girl and Raine studied him for a moment. He hesitated before answering Colette.

"… Accept this blessing from Cruxis. I hereby grant you additional angelic power." It was simply the basics of what he needed to say, his tone clipped as he spoke.

"…Ah…Father?…" Colette questioned, clearly confused by his lack of reaction as lights enveloped her, granting her the more advanced angelic abilities.

"The next seal lies far north, in a place that gazes upon the end. Offer your prayers at the altar in the distant land."

"Father, have I done something to displease you?"

It was obvious to everyone, even the ever dense Lloyd, that something was bothering the angel hovering before Colette and the girl herself seemed to be becoming rather upset at the prospect.

"It matters not," he answered at length "All that is needed is for you to become an angel. I will be waiting for you at the next seal. Colette…my daughter. Hurry and become a true angel. Do not disappoint me…"

He disappeared seconds later as Colette lowered herself to the ground, pulling her wings out of sight again. Genis was fuming over Remiel's actions and Raine quickly strode over to him, slapping him hard across the cheek, preventing him from saying anything else to upset the girl.

She flicked her eyes to Kratos when she thought she heard an amused snort from him and he met her eyes for a moment before answering Lloyd.

"Stop complaining. …Let's get moving."

They left the chamber as quickly as possible, heading up into the marginally cooler levels, weaving past various enemies until they reached the exit, taking deep breaths of the fresh air once they were out.

After a moment they began to move off again, each member of the group keeping an eye on Colette in case she collapsed again. She seemed fine as she began walking towards the bridge but after a few steps she suddenly fell without warning.

Lloyd was at her side in a heartbeat. Raine was there a second later, examining her. "We must let her rest immediately."

"Time to set up camp then."

"Yes," Raine agreed, looking up at Kratos as he approached "but if this is going to happen every time she releases a seal, Colette is going to have a difficult journey ahead of her. For the time being, I'm going to call the phenomenon Angel Toxicosis."

Colette stirred, sitting up, her eyes slightly unfocused, face pale. Genis was quizzing her as Kratos looked up to Raine.

"We'd best get back over to the main land, there's nowhere for us to camp here."

"We really shouldn't move her."

"We don't have that much of a choice."

Raine frowned, looking down at the girl before looking around the area, noticing a trail in the cliff walls.

"There! There's a trail up there."

Kratos looked at it, considering it for a moment. "If you think that is the best option then, very well."

She nodded, appreciating his agreement for both Colette's and her own sake, before turning to the rest of the group, helping Colette to her feet as she instructed the boys to head down before her.

Lloyd looked ready to protest, but a glance from Kratos silenced him and he made down the bridge with Genis.

Colette shifted, managing to get free of Raine's grasp with an apologetic smile, trying to walk under her own power. She failed, falling again and it was Kratos who caught the girl this time and upon finding her legs too weak to hold her own weight, lifted her into his arms, cradling her as he walked down the bridge with Raine beside him.

Noishe was waiting at the bottom, looking proud of himself as Kratos stepped off and the bridge faded. Sending Lloyd and Genis in the lead, the group made their way up the trail to camp for the night.

--

The sun was setting rapidly as Kratos gazed out over the ocean surrounding the island they were on. The water was reflecting blood red as the glowing orange slid beneath the plain of scarlet water. Clouds, tinted that same orange drifted leisurely through the evening sky, darkening as the sun sank lower still and the deep blue of the night's sky set in, calling the moon to its duty.

He turned away after a moment, hearing his companions talking in a subdued manner and he looked down to them from him position up the nearby tree.

Colette was still looking ill, though she had recovered somewhat, and everyone's concern for the girl was making the air tense.

Throwing his legs off the branch he was perched on, the mercenary leapt neatly to the ground, straight into the campsite. Mumbled greetings met him as he made his way to Noishe, patting the dog lightly on the muzzle before he sat down again, meeting Raine's eyes meaningfully. She seemed to understand what he meant, but she was less than enthusiastic at the prospect of a potentially emotionally draining talk.

Frowning, Kratos called Lloyd away as Genis began to prepare the meal for the evening, spending sometime training him before looking back towards the group. Genis and Raine were in deep conversation, trying to keep their voices down so as not to disturb Colette who was trying to rest.

His attention snapped back to his apprentice when he realised that he was speaking.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I was asking what you thought of Dorr."

"In what sense?"

"Well like, betraying the trust of the people of the city to save his wife."

"It is not my place to judge him for that. His actions, if immoral, were understandable. There is no feeling worse than that of loosing someone you love, and to have to watch them suffer as they leave you."

"Yeah I guess. At least he did it to save someone he loved and not for money or anything and…"

"And?"

"I kinda feel sorry for him, I mean, he didn't even realise his real child had died."

"I think," Kratos mused, sitting on a nearby rock and gesturing for Lloyd to do the same "that he may have already known."

"Eh? How?"

"I would imagine that, being a parent, he may have some sense of his child's loss."

"Yeah…" Lloyd sighed deeply, looking up into a now dark sky "Parent's love for a child is amazing, isn't it?"

"So it would seem" Kratos answered warily, watching the boy carefully.

"I wonder if...Mom died protecting me from Desians." The teen was still staring up at the stars in the sky, his eyes glistening slightly as he thought of his late mother.

"You don't have any memory of when your mother died?"

"I was only three," he scoffed "I hardly remember anything."

"I see.." Kratos paused, looking at boy as he pondered over his parents. "Then, the only thing you can do is live her share as well."

"Yeah.." Lloyd replied non-committally, bringing his gaze back down to look at Kratos, something seeming to click in his eyes "Yeah, I will…"

He stood up from the rock he was sitting on, sheathing his sword and looking back to the mercenary, murmuring "Thanks, Kratos." Before darting back to the campsite.

Kratos stood, watching the boy go, and let a soft smile flicker over his face for a moment now...there was one other person whom he needed to speak with before the night was over.

--

"Raine." Kratos called to the woman quietly, trying not to disturb Genis who slumbered peacefully beside her feet. The woman looked up hesitantly.

"May I speak with you?"

"About?"

Kratos looked down to Genis, ensuring he was sleeping before answering. "The Chosen." Even as he said the word, he glanced up to the path that Colette and Lloyd had wandered up so that they were sat just a little out of hearing range of the adults.

Raine nodded and shuffled around the fire until she was at a suitable distance from Kratos to speak to him.

"What about her?"

"Have you noticed any new symptoms since releasing the second seal?"

"Such as not eating?"

The man nodded and Raine shook her head. "She's not slept yet despite the fact that I've advised her to, but then, she does have a tendency to go to bed late anyway."

"I see."

Raine paused for a moment, pondering over his single, simply answered question, deciding it was too simple. He wanted to speak of a different issue, and she would be happy to oblige as long as she could get something in return.

"But that wasn't all you wanted to ask, was it?"

Garnet eyes flicked up, meeting hers, amusement flickering in them. "No, it wasn't."

"So…what was it you wanted to discuss? I'm guessing it's going to be uncomfortably personal, since all these conversations seem to end up being."

"That is true."

"So?"

"It was actually just an inquiry into your well-being," His eyes never leaving hers save for when he blinked. "You seemed somewhat upset after Dorr's death this morning, but moments early, during the battle you were fine especially after that attack which I was rather impressed by."

Raine made a noise in her throat which she hoped he took as a thank you before answering. "Is it not normal for someone to be upset after the death of another?"

"It is..." Kratos drawled "But it's not like you to _show _that you're upset."

"I was…ashamed, I suppose, to an extent that it affected me."

"Ashamed?" he seemed somewhat taken aback by the idea "Why so?"

"I…I was not strong enough," she answered "My healing abilities were not enough to save one life, when moments earlier I had managed to destroy one with an attack."

"People are sometimes not strong enough for them to accomplish what they wish to, but that is not a crime. Besides, I imagine that, knowing you, this will merely make you study and focus harder on your healing abilities."

"Yes it will but…I was so desperate to prove myself as capable of being useful when it came to being offensive in battle that I neglected to think about the thing that really mattered. A man died because of that."

'_Desperate to prove myself to you' _she added mentally as she looked up at the man.

"Not that this will help you…but I think it is probably best for him that he no longer lives."

"Why?"

"To survive only to discover you have lost the people most important to you is a cruel, painful fate. He was spared that. You may not have intended it, but you have probably delivered the right course of action, and in the process, you have learned something about yourself. By doing so, you can better yourself. Is that not one of your goals in life, to achieve?"

"Yes…I suppose you're right. And there is no use mourning over it now, he's gone and I'm still here. I, like Lloyd, must learn to deal with my mistakes and then learn from them, to improve myself."

Kratos nodded appreciatively, feeling an odd sense of pride and compassion for the woman beside him and though he had not done much, he hoped he had been able to comfort her in some small way.

So much for not letting himself fall for her further, or to keep her at bay, for as she turned to him, there was a previously unseen warmth in her eyes and it made his lips quirk into a soft smile at the notion.

"Now.." Raine stated, a sly look painted across her face "I've shared with you, it's only fair that you share with me…"

Despite the words, despite knowing what she was referring to, Kratos' smile didn't fade.

* * *

A.N: Another chapter done. Hope it was good. And...as a side note, I know that there was no trail up on Thoda Geyser, but the scene in th game shows them camping in a little grassy area...and there wasn't one that we saw there...and they didn't go back to the mainland until the next morning. So...yeah. I doubt it's that important, but thought I'd mention it.

Anyway...

Please push my button :)


	13. Whispers on the Wind

A.N: Ok...so... um apart from the usual, just a little warning in case updates get a little erratic in the coming weeks.

1) my laptop is being a...person who's parents weren't married and not letting me use microsoft word at the mo. I have a couple of chapters in reserve at the moment, already typed up and ready to go etc. so it's ok for about 2 weeks.

2) I start uni in just about 2 weeks so...updates should be ok for the next two weeks and then things might get a little flooey. (I don't think that's a word, but ou get the idea, no?)

On a lighter note, I passed my driving theory test today (go me) so now I'm in a good mood...so when I say enjoy I mean it with extra zest this time.

Enjoy! :D

* * *

Whispers on the wind

"…You had quite a strong reaction when you saw what Clara had become." Raine commented, looking up at the man as his soft smile faded.

Not quite the issue that she wanted to confront him about, so she wasn't sure why that exact point had come out but she supposed she had to go with it now. Her suspicions on Kratos and Lloyd's true relationship did need confirming…but she decided to play along for a while longer, allowing Kratos to believe she thought he was just some random person. Such an issue was likely to cause some discomfort to him, and she was not yet sure that if she confronted him on it, she would get an answer…or that it wouldn't push him away from her. No…it was best to wait, collect some more evidence if possible and then bring up the issue at a more appropriate time. When that time would be, she wasn't sure, but it would be sometime soon, she could sense it. Besides, she could test his feelings on her by how much he shared with her now…in time, feelings would only strengthen, allowing her to be sure that if she asked, he would answer.

"Is it not natural to be shocked to see something such as that?" He replied, paraphrasing her from the earlier conversation that night. The reference didn't go unnoticed and an amused smile slipped across Raine's face.

"It is…" she drawled, continuing the little game "but it's not like you to show such a reaction."

"It seems we have something in common then."

"I suspect we have more than just that in common, but that is not the issue I'm addressing. I saw your face when you saw that monster."

Kratos averted his gaze slightly, realising just how much of himself he had given away in that short moment in the basement.

"You were…distressed, to say the least, more so than anyone else. Why?"

"You can't make an assumption and work it out for yourself?"

"I can…just as you probably can with what you know of my history, and what reactions I've shown you. But I want confirmation."

"I…" he stuttered, feeling the words she wanted to hear lodge in his throat. His past plagued him more now than he had previously thought, and though he loathed the thought of lying to her, he couldn't possibly tell her the whole truth… so maybe he should just…omit certain truths.

"You recall that I told you I had lost someone close to me sometime ago?"

"Yes."

"Well, she was afflicted with a condition that… disfigured her. She was unrecognisable by the time she died. The sight of that poor woman, so deformed from how she should be, stirred the memories."

He gritted his teeth, looking away from Raine as his brow furrowed, memories burning through him. He didn't wish to appear weak in front of this woman, or anyone for that matter, but the memory of his lost partner stung painfully and he found himself wishing for some sort of relief or comfort.

"…I'm sorry." Raine breathed after a momet, standing next to him now and he felt her hand hesitantly rest upon his shoulder in a comforting gesture. He let it lay there for a moment, glad for at least the offer, even if it wasn't working.

"I'm so sorry," she repeated a moment later, hand coming to rest a little more firmly on his shoulder. "I shouldn't have pried…I didn't realise just how painful…"

He straightened suddenly, lifting his head and standing straight, her hand falling away from his shoulder with the movement.

"No…I asked you to share something with me, and for me to reciprocate was part of the arrangement," his voice trembled slightly as he spoke, gaining strength as he went on though. "and…I have not told many people of this. Perhaps it is my own fault for repressing it."

"Still I…"

He waved a hand, cutting her off. "No, don't regret asking. As I said, it is my fault for not dealing with it better. I have to face my past and address it, and you, in forcing me to remember, have made me do so. I thank you for that."

A little taken aback, Raine nodded dumbly.

"Now…I think we should return to the others. Lloyd and Colette will not sleep unless we force them to, and I need to take the night watch."

"Yes, you're right."

"You'll excuse me if I go on ahead. I need some time alone to gather my thoughts."

"Yes, of course."

Kratos strode away quickly, feeling his gut churning slightly at the conversation that had just taken place and he plonked himself on the floor, away from the others, to clear his head. He vaguely noted Raine strolling past and taking her place beside her brother, falling asleep almost instantly. A few minutes later Lloyd returned from his talk with Colette, nodding to the mercenary before he, too, settled down to sleep. Reclining against Noishe who had curled about his back, he watched as Colette slowly descended the cliff she had been standing on from the corner of his eye. She settled down onto the floor quickly, though he noticed her breathing didn't change even after sometime had passed. She wasn't asleep. Perhaps her mind, like his, was too tumultuous to rest and he studiously ignored her, letting him drift back into his own thoughts.

Like that of Raine's hand on his shoulder as she had attempted to comfort him, soft and warm, yet firm and strong against him. And her words…generic and bland though they had been, the emotion and meaning behind them were entirely pure. He had heard the concern and regret in her voice as she apologised, upset because she had caused him to relive his emotional pain and he had been grateful for the offer, for the warm hand and the gentle words.

He had wanted to allow her to soothe him and his pain…and it was only his pride and damned sense of propriety that had stopped him. And her, of course, his lost loved one. He missed her still, despite the time that had passed, and he didn't know if he could allow himself to fall into the arms of another women again. Be it rationality over the situation, pain over the inevitable ending, guilt over betraying his late lover or not allowing him to let go of the old and embrace the new…something was holding him back, perhaps all those reasons. He found his mind and emotions confused for the first time in a decade or so and he didn't know quite how to deal with the situation. He had never found himself facing an issue like this ever before, and he had no friend to turn to this time…except her. And he wouldn't drag her into this.

If it took him months, he would find his answer himself, and he just hoped that he wouldn't break trying.

--

They woke up late the next morning, everyone except Genis having retired later than usual. Kratos and Colette were the first to rise, as usual, followed by Genis and Raine and, after much jostling and shouting Lloyd.

With everyone up they ate quickly before heading back down to the geyser, slipping away from the late-morning crowds and onto the washtubs. Raine groaned at the thought of using the damned things again, but the fact that she was still half-asleep meant that she was not entirely aware of her surroundings, making the trip back a little more bearable.

Back onto main land, they turned north, walking alongside the mountain ranges until they dropped away. The blackened remains of the Desian facility in a giant crumbled heap could be seen among the distant forest as they headed east, making their way back to the traveller's path, and up to Hakonesia peak. There they quickly traded the Spiritua statue for a look at the book, Colette reading aloud from it as Raine jotted down notes of the locations of the seals and they left as quickly as possible, the women uncomfortable with the old man's leering gaze on them. Although, the males weren't exactly ecstatic at the prospect either, and each one sent Koton a glare as they left.

They passed through the gates in silence under the guards scrutiny, showing them the road pass they obtained from Dorr as they passed them. Raine wandered away to the front of the group to scold Lloyd as he began complaining about the old man with some rather colourful language. Kratos remained alongside Colette and Genis who were discussing the book Colette had just been reading from.

"The angelic language is pretty difficult." Genis stated, looking over to Colette. Kratos glanced down at the children, listening quietly to their conversation. Great, now _he _was eavesdropping…it must be contagious.

"Really?" Colette questioned, tilting her head in confusion.

"Yeah. I didn't really understand what was written."

"I've read nothing but books written in angelic language since I was a child, so..." the Chosen explained, smiling gently at her friend. Kratos glanced up, keeping his eyes on the road ahead as he listened to the two.

"I wonder if I could learn to read it if I study?" Genis mused, bringing a hand up to his jaw and tapping his chin. So much like his sister.

"The angelic language is the basis for the language of this world," Kratos explained, filling in where he knew Colette wouldn't be able to "The grammar hasn't changed significantly."

"Yeah. I'll teach you if you'd like." Colette offered looking excited.

"I can provide some instruction as well." Added Kratos, smiling softly at the young boy who now looked incredibly excited at the prospect of learning the ancient language, again, so much like his sister and he wondered if it was for that reason he had grown to like the boy.

Genis looked up at him curiously for a moment, perhaps even a little surprised as Kratos turned his head away and increased the length of his strides to catch up to Lloyd in order to speak with him.

Kratos sighed quietly, glancing up to a blue sky as they headed for the rock region on the other side of Hakonesia peak. It shouldn't take them too long to reach Asgard but then, it shouldn't have taken them so long to get this far anyway. If it wasn't one thing stopping them, it was another, and as they made their way to the City of Ruins, he hoped they wouldn't be delayed further.

--

Asgard was a city that Raine had wanted to visit since she had heard of it. A city of travel and tourism, it attracted thousands of people each year, drawing people in with its mysterious historical artefacts, caves and, most importantly, its ruin.

Grinning, she walked alongside Kratos, having returned to the back of the group with him during the walk, a little bop and bounce of excitement in her steps as she walked. The mercenary had a cast her a glance of bemused amusement, but had said nothing about it as they passed under the arch that announced the entrance to the city.

It was really rather small for something called a city, and precariously positioned. The gaping chasm to the right of them was hardly a welcome feature of the settlement, especially since nobody had seemed to have the sense to put up a fence to stop somebody falling down it.

The rest of the city, however, was practically perfect to Raine's eye…or it would be, if it weren't for all the merchants trying to sell 'souvenirs' in the form of so called, genuine chips of rock from the ruin itself. Them, and all the tourists milling around with no real sense of understanding of what the fabulous altar meant.

"So uh, where're we headed?" Lloyd asked, looking around the town in confusion. Raine swiftly strode forwards and grabbed the boy by the collar, dragging him towards the ruin set above them, rivalling the mountains for its height.

Lloyd gagged a little as Raine dragged him along, the others following at a slower pace as they began to ascend the steps, heading up to the ruin. Raine was sprinting, dragging a now stumbling Lloyd behind her. As soon as they had reached the top, he wrenched his collar from her grip.

Not that Raine noticed.

"Oh, it's the Asgard ruin!" She cooed, looking up at the huge stone tablet.

The rest of the group clustered behind her, as she swept a hand delicately across the stone before whipping around to face them, a disturbing glint in her eye.

Kratos took a miniscule step back.

"Lloyd, state the historical background of this ruin!" she demanded, pointing aggressively at the boy.

Lloyd visibly balked, rubbing the back of his head nervously as he garbled out some answer. Genis sighed, taking over from his friend to properly answer Raine's question as Lloyd mumbled out some excuse.

Kratos turned, walking away from the little lecture Raine was putting on as Colette and Genis listened intently. Lloyd followed suit, walking away with the older man.

"She must really love ruins," the older man mused, staring out over the sea to the west "or perhaps something happened to her when she was young."

Lloyd made a vague noise of agreement before wandering off again and he himself returned to looking out over that blue canvas wistfully, calming his own thoughts. The air up here was fresh and cool, perhaps not as pure as the air one would reach if they could fly…but good enough for the purpose he wanted it for at the moment.

He closed his eyes, letting himself relax for a moment, taking in the feel of the wind against him, the smell of the air, the taste of it, the sound of Raine's excited voice drifting over to him…mingled with Lloyd's and some other mens'.

His eyes snapped open as Raine's voice stopped abruptly, and he turned to see her leaping onto the ruin, surprised that, not only was she able to make the jump, but that she was willing to walk on the 'precious' stone in the first place.

A second later, she disappeared over the other side, the sound of raised voices drifting over the wind, before a male figure dressed in purple was sent in a smooth arc into the air. From the resounding thud, he had hit the ground pretty hard.

From what he could hear on the wind, the two men present had been planning on destroying the ruin. Kratos chuckled gently to himself, aware that no-one was watching his rare display of emotion, understanding that the two would now be receiving the potential beatings of their lives from the enraged woman.

A second later there was a flurry of commotion, a squeak of horror from the men, and then desperate garbled explanations. Kratos watched the tops of the heads of the assembly bob about with a raised brow.

"You there! Trespassing is forbidden in this area."

The mercenary turned, looking to the aged man who had just entered as the men in the distanced jerked, startled.

They quickly bolted from behind the ruin as the mayor began to walk down one side to chase them out, running up the opposite side. Lloyd and Raine quickly followed suit, and upon meeting up with the other three, bolted back to the main area of town.

"Who were those two?" Lloyd questioned, rubbing the back of his head as he looked up at the ruin above them. Raine was too busy fuming to bother, for a change.

"I wonder why they wanted to destroy the ruin?" Colette mused.

"Yes, the ruin!" Raine's fist fell into her open palm with a decisive smack "We have to stop them from engaging in such foolish acts like trying to destroy a ruin. Let's go."

With no-one else being allowed a say they followed Raine to the residential area of the town, finding it to be consisted of half a dozen boxy stone houses, or mere fronts of houses set into cliff walls. Not unlike how dwarves were supposed to live.

After speaking briefly with the children playing outside, they were pointed to the house that the two men had gone into and Raine strode up to the door, knocking on it resolutely before entering at a call. The rest of the group followed less enthusiastically. Leave it to Raine to go and badger people about a ruin. Although Kratos would admit, he at the least was mildly interested as to why the men were trying to destroy the source of the city's wealth.

"You're the tourists from earlier." The red haired elf, who reminded Kratos of a mini version of Magnius, spat at Raine.

"I am a scholar." Raine informed him coolly, an undercurrent of a threat in her tone.

"Whatever," he shrugged "Get out!"

"Harley, stop it. This is my house." A woman, standing opposite the man, scolded him, dark blue-black hair that matched that of the other man in the room falling into her eyes. She turned to Raine slowly. "I understand that you were the ones that stopped Harley and my brother. Thank you"

"I'm not sure "stopped" is the best way to put it." Kratos murmured. Raine turned to look at him briefly, her lips slightly pursed. He shrugged in response and he caught the almost playful mock-glare she sent to him before she turned back to speak with the woman.

"It doesn't matter what you call it! The point is, the people of this city are the ones that would suffer if that ruin was destroyed." The woman snapped at Harley.

"But as things are now, you're going to be sacrificed!"

"Sacrificed?" Lloyd questioned.

"It's a ritual in honour of the Summon Spirit of Wind," the other man, such as he was, explained, his voice weak. "Aisha was chosen for it. Originally, the ritual consisted of just dancing on the stone platform, but…"

"This idiot started meddling with the stone dais as part of his research and opened the seal," Harley interrupted heatedly "Because of that, that Summon Spirit of Wind-thing awoke and is demanding sacrifices"

"The seal? Do you mean…" Raine trailed off, eyebrows furrowing slightly as she thought about the potential situation.

"Yes!" the boy, Linar, exclaimed, eyes lighting up as he looked at Raine. "If you, too, are researching the Balacruf ruins, then you must be aware of the altar erected in praise of the Summon Spirit of Wind."

"Are you saying that the Balacruf Pillar hieroglyphics are not just a myth?!"

"Uh…Raine," Genis squeaked, calling his sister's attention to him "Aren't you forgetting why we're on this journey?"

"Well, it's all right…" Kratos drawled slightly as he saw Raine's eyes dim a little as realisation hit her of how side-tracked she was getting, but that blue gaze latched onto him hopefully as his words "It's not as if it's completely out of our way." He finished. A smile appeared on her lips, as if thanking him, as she turned back to the discussion. Kratos made sure to keep his expression neutral as Lloyd looked over to him questioningly.

A second later, he was aware that they were being thrown out of the house and they left without a fight. Raine was frowning in thought as they left.

"We should speak to the Mayor," she suggested once the door had shut behind them "we need to know whether or not the ruin really is the wind seal."

"Then we should probably make for the ruin itself," Kratos stepped forwards "he's likely making sure no-one else disturbs it."

With everyone in agreement, they quickly headed back for the ruin, Genis and Lloyd glancing strangely at Kratos as they moved, glancing to each other, before skidding to a halt, trying not to slam into the back of Raine as she talked with the mayor.

Kratos frowned at the boys' behaviour. Was his affection for Raine presenting itself in his actions so noticeably that even they could tell? Of course, Genis hinted before that he thought something was going on…but Lloyd, he was as naïve and innocent as they came. Although, he did seem to have a sense for people's concealed emotions…sometimes anyway. If Colette started noticing though…then he would start to worry.

"Then I shall become the dancer. Then it would be fine for me to go up onto the stage, yes?"

Kratos head whipped up as he looked at Raine not quite believing what she was suggesting. If she put herself in that situation, she could be placing herself in mortal danger.

"Professor!" Lloyd exclaimed, expressing the concern where Kratos could not.

"According to the Book of Regeneration, this should be the next seal," she explained, turning back to look at the group, briefly meeting Kratos eyes. He made his feelings on the idea quite clear to her in that glance. "If we can meet the Summon Spirit, we should be able to tell. The sacrifice that the Summon Spirit seeks might even be the Chosen of Mana."

…Although he had to admit, she did have a point.

"…You just want to study the ruin firsthand." Lloyd murmured, earning himself a hard slap across the face. Kratos folded his lips in briefly, trying to wipe the slight smile off them.

"…Do as you wish. I won't be held responsible if it costs you your life." The mayor huffed, making it clear that the discussion was over.

Raine thanked him quietly before they turned and left.

"We should speak to Aisha about this." Was all Raine said before heading back towards the woman's house, not leaving any room for discussion.

--

In the bedroom of Linar and Aisha's house, Kratos shook his head at the discussion taking place, not believing Raine was going to put herself in so much danger. And there was no way of stopping her.

"Well then, I should change clothes now. Would you mind?" she addressed the group and the children, along with Aisha, filed out.

Kratos remained, looking at the woman. She lifted an eyebrow.

"I appreciate you've probably seen a woman naked before, but I'm not about to let you see me in that state." She remarked, picking up the outfit.

Kratos would have smiled, perhaps even made a vague innuendo…if it were not for the situation.

"Do you understand how much danger you're putting yourself in?" He questioned.

"Yes, but it's not like we have a choice."

"I beg to differ."

"So, what we just let that girl sacrifice herself?"

"Do you think the summon spirit of wind demands sacrifices?"

"You didn't listen to a word I said before, did you?" she hissed.

"I listened. I understand what you're saying…but it seems, to me, to be uncharacteristic behaviour for a summon spirit…or a seal guardian."

"But we can't be sure. We can't potentially miss out on defeating one of the guardians and awakening one of Colette's new powers, just because it's not quite the same as before. We're going to have to take risks on this journey, Kratos, you knew that before we set out."

He remained silent and she continued.

"Besides, I'll be fine. You, Genis and Lloyd will be there if I need any help, correct?"

"Yes but…" he sighed "Raine, I'm uncomfortable about letting you put yourself in this danger, regardless of whether I'll be there to help or not," he avoided the word 'protect' not wanting to offend the woman "Your wellbeing is of concern to me."

"Hmm. Yes, if I'm injured, you have no healer."

"That's not why I'm concerned. You're more than just the healer in this party to me Raine…I would've thought you'd picked up on that by now."

"I have," she smirked "I just wanted to hear you say it."

Kratos' mouth fell open as he fell speechless, before a disbelieving smile crossed his lips.

"I'll leave you to change in private then."

He turned away from her, heading for the door as she shrugged off her orange coat.

"Raine…"

"Yes?" she asked, looking over to him.

"…Be careful."

--

She knelt in the very centre of the tablet as the wind blew softly in the early evening air, waiting for the crowds to finish filing in to watch her dance as the wind maiden.

Breathing deeply to still her tingling nerves, she became aware of the numbers of eyes on her and she tilted her head slightly as she knelt, meeting the dark garnet gaze of one of her 'bodyguards' in particular. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, lips pulled into a tight, thin line, his concern becoming visible. Lloyd mentioned something and he looked away to answer the boy, the tautness in his lips dropped, as if he were trying to hide that concern from the boy. After all, Kratos was the one who was expected to remain cool and calm in any situation.

Kratos gave Lloyd a clipped response before turning back to look at Raine.

She was dressed in a traditionally styled garb, the pale yellow garb striped with red clung to her back and waist, the top section held up with flimsy spaghetti straps. It left her upper back, and shoulders bare, her skin tightening in the chilly air.

Silence suddenly settled over the assembled crowd and Raine glanced to Aisha, who nodded once. It was time for the ritual to begin.

Taking a final steadying breath, she grasped the staff lying in front of her, rising to her feet as fluidly as possibly, arching her back as she rose before standing straight, flipping the staff in her hands so that it was at arms length in front of her.

Lifting it fractionally, she stiffened her back as she flowed towards the northern point of the circle set in stone, the wind whipping the red material of her trousers and tugging softly at the hat she wore. She brought the staff down decisively on the magic spot on the floor, releasing a flurry of mana before she pirouetted, heading for the western point to repeat the process, then heading east and south. She caught the eyes of the enrapt crowd as they watched her, trying not to focus on those of the man standing a few feet away from the stage.  
With a final pirouette, she returned to the centre of the stage and knelt, drawing the creature's forces out of the stone.

Light burst into life around her, coloured green and yellow and she quickly rose, trotting backwards a few steps until she was a suitable distance from where the creature would materialise.

It did so a burst of pulsating life, the creature resembling a large purple bat, the end of its body curving into a sharpened axe, its body surrounded by blades of air.

"I have come for the girl." It hissed, and Raine tightened her grip fractionally on the staff, refusing to back away from the monster.

"It's not…No, Professor! That is an evil creature. It's not the guardian of the seal!" Colette shouted, and moments later, the boys were leaping onto the platform, Kratos and Lloyd dashing in front of Raine, one to either side.

She pulled her staff back to the side, immediately backing up to start casting her spells as Lloyd and Kratos dashed towards the purple beast.

They slashed at it non-stop, it seemed to Raine as she called up photon to strike the creature, just as Kratos thrust his sword into the creature's abdomen. Lloyd followed it up a second later, twin blades carving through the arms of the beast as rocks erupted from beneath it as Genis called up stone blast.

It fell to the floor, stunned and Kratos took the opportunity to end it, flipping his sword so that the tip was facing down before lifting it high above his head, slamming the blade downwards into the back of the creature.

It screeched in pain, crying out something in what seemed to be an ancient language as Kratos' blade paralysed its lower body. Its arms, however, were still functioning perfectly and one clawed hand shot out to wrap around Kratos' ankle as he made to jump away. He fell, landing heavily, sword falling from his hand as his shoulder struck the ground.

Lloyd was there in an instant, hacking at the Windmaster's arm and it released its captive.

Raine shook her head, calling up first aid to heal the minor scrape wounds that Kratos had received from the fall and the creature as Lloyd ploughed his blade's into the down creature, effectively finishing it.

Kratos scowled as he picked his blade off the floor, sheathing it with a loud snap and walking past everyone without a word, jumping down off the platform even as the crowd cheered for the warriors. Pushing his way to the back he ran into Linar, who was gazing dreamily at Raine. He rolled his eyes, folding his arms and waiting for the others to join him.

The second Raine was in sight, Linar was grovelling.

"Fantastic! You're fantastic, Raine!"

Raine laughed good-naturedly, waving her hand. "It was hardly a challenging opponent," she shot a teasing look to Kratos as she spoke, but instead of acknowledging the comment, he merely turned his head away.

Shaking it off as Kratos being Kratos, she turned back to Linar.

"Now, more importantly, about that stone tablet you acquired…" she rummaged around in the bag she had left beside the altar, pulling out a stone map. "This stone tablet has ancient Balacruf writing inscribed on it."

"Let's decipher it right away! I have the necessary materials assembled in my house." Linar squeaked and Raine nodded, smiling as she pushed the tablet back inside the bag.

Kratos watched the display with a growing sense of resentment towards the blue-black haired boy.

"Yes, let's go."

And with that, they were gone, hurrying back towards Linar's house without so much as a backward glance. Kratos ground his teeth in irritation, glaring at back of the receding male figure. Wasn't the boy aware that there were other people who may need Raine's attention? What did he think he was doing, wandering off with her, commanding all her attention anyway? Raine was intelligent enough to do it without the pathetic excuse for a boy, he could've merely told her he had the materials, given them to her and left it at that, but no, he had to drag her off with him.

And what did Raine think she was doing? They were supposed to bea team, they were supposed to stick together and not go off on their own with strangers. Each member of the group had their own value, but Raine especially so. Though, he knew she could handle herself, but that simply wasn't the point! And another thing, she was wandering off with a male who was clearly infatuated with her, didn't she know that….

'_Jealous much, Kratos?' _Something inside his mind chided him mockingly.

Of course he wasn't _jealous_, he didn't get jealous. Jealousy was for those who had something to prove or for those who had something they wanted. He had all he needed, he was content with his current situation and…

He shook his head at his childish thoughts and behaviour.

Raine had gone off with Linar to help advance their journey of world regeneration. Yes, he was obviously infatuated with her, but then, so were most males and she had turned all of them down. He had nothing to worry about, especially from a boy like that.

So, yes, maybe he would've preferred it if she'd given him more of a thought, and maybe he was the tiniest bit jealous that she had gone off with him…but she had gone off with him for the tablet, not the boy, so he had nothing to be concerned over.

"Kratos?"

He jerked his head up at the sound of his name, finding Lloyd guiding a down-trodden looking Genis down the steps, back towards the city.

"Yes?"

"We're gonna find an inn for the night…you coming?"

"Yes of course, I apologise…my thoughts were elsewhere."

He followed them down the steps, persuading the children to one of the more expensive inns within the city, wanting the comfort for the night. With Raine unlikely to return for the evening, he managed to get Lloyd and Genis to share a room, leaving him on his own for a change.

He sighed, sinking down onto a plush bed, glad to have the time, space and quiet to think.

--

They rose mid morning, the children eating before wandering outside, finding Kratos already waiting outside, looking up at the sky. He turned, nodding at them in greeting.

"It looks like the professor hasn't come back yet." Colette noted.

"Are you serious?" Lloyd questioned, looking around as if she would suddenly appear out of thin air. Kratos gave an annoyed grunt in response, as Genis filled in with something a little more verbal.

In need of their professor in order to continue, they headed for Linar's house , hoping to retrieve her from the clutches of research…and in Kratos' case, Linar.

Knocking quietly they were called inside, and a somewhat tired looking Raine turned to them. She appeared to have been working all night to decipher the map, but she looked pleased with results even more so.

"Good timing. I just finished deciphering it." She offered by way of greeting.

"The Professor is _amazing!_" Linar stared up at the woman with utter adoration and Kratos nearly gagged at the expression "She deciphered the complex Balacruf writing in no time at all!"

Genis seemed to have noticed the annoyed expression on Kratos face, for as he turned back to Raine he muttered "…Heh. Raine just gained another fan."

Whether he was referring to Linar or Kratos was anybody's guess. Kratos may have been considerable more subtle and less grovelly than the half-elf boy, but he appeared to be becoming quite hung up on her.

"She's quite the catch, huh?" Lloyd asked, nudging Genis and the boy let out an emphatic noise of agreement, before receiving a hard slap across the face for his comments.

Kratos zoned out a little as the conversation continued, Raine and Linar explaining what had happened, but the mercenary found himself interested in only the sound of her voice, drifting over Linar's dull tones.

"The location of the summon spirit of wind is the location of the next seal." Raine concluded.

"Now we can finally regenerate the world!" Colette exclaimed, grinning broadly.

Kratos shifted as Aisha questioned them, cutting in before anyone else could answer, addressing Raine.

"…Well then, if you know our next destination, we should be on our way at once."

Agreeing, Raine turned, thanking Linar for allowing her to research the map, before turning and leaving, their goodbyes echoing behind them as they left.

"So, we head for the Balacruf Mausoleum." Raine stated, striding from the city, glancing remorsefully at the stone tablet that crowned the city as she lead the group out onto the field, leading them to the next seal in the journey of world regeneration.

* * *

A.N: Ok now...I'm really hoping that wasn't a disappointment for anyone. I gathered from the reviews that everyone thought Raine was gonna confront Kratos about him being Lloyd's dad...and having read over the last chapter, I can see why...my bad, but by the time I realised it was too late. Plus, the issue is going to come up again in a few chapters time and serve as a plot device for...well, you'll see. So...yeah sorry about that. Hope Raine's reasons make sense etc. and thst it wasn't a disappointment.

Um...review, please?


	14. Reprieve

A.N: Same as usual. Although my laptop's fixed...or at least I have open office now so I can work again. So (rude finger gesture) you Microsoft.

Anywhoo...

Enjoy!

* * *

Reprieve

Asgard had been quiet when they left, but after just half an hour of walking away from the city, the group encountered parties and pilgrimages headed for the tourist city, and decided they were glad to have got out of there before the huge tourist rush had started.

Raine, who had been striding purposefully out at the head of the group had dropped back, allowing Lloyd to take his customary position at the front again. She herself had little sense of direction and once Kratos had mentioned the direction of travel, Lloyd had been itching to prove himself a capable guide once again.

Walking alongside the chosen and her brother, Raine had at first given them a quick lesson on the history of the Balacruf dynasty, relying on Kratos to keep a watch out for enemies and keep them on track when she explained something to Lloyd. Although she couldn't for the life of her think why she was bothering, given that when it came to boy, information went in through one ear and out the other. She was sure that if you listened closely enough, you could hear the sound of it passing through the seemingly empty space between his ears.

After about an hour or so of walking however, they were suddenly interrupted by a group of snakes accompanied by a grasshopper, at least five of the reptiles gathering about their feet as they shot from the bushes. Kratos called out to the group gruffly, having them all cluster behind him as he formed a plan to take on the large number of enemies.

Calling on Raine to be ready with panacea bottles and healing spells, he dashed forwards with Lloyd, heading for the grasshopper as he managed to step neatly between the writhing creatures on the ground. Faced with the grasshopper, he pulled his sword out to the side, carving downwards with it neatly to shear through one of its front legs, just as the creature lashed out. He jumped back, missing the scythe-like claws by millimetres, treading on a snake as he landed. It burst beneath his foot and he grimaced slightly, when he heard a scream from Lloyd.

Snapping his head around to look at the boy, he found him thrusting his sword down into a snake before charging for the grasshopper. Kratos followed the boy, hacking one of the scythes off cleanly as Lloyd plunged his swords into the creature's mouth.

It was as Kratos watched the creature before him collapsed that he managed to catch sight of a stick flying through the air in front of him….except that sticks generally didn't move and he turned to see Raine twirling her staff before slamming the gem at the top into the head of one of the other reptiles as Colette shrieked and fell onto the remaining one, crushing it.

Kratos shook his head in mild amusement…it was an interesting way to get rid of the enemy to be sure, if not entirely practical.

"Is everyone alright?" Kratos questioned, scanning each member of the party in turn. He received four nods and affirmations before he instructed Lloyd to take up the lead again, falling back to walk beside Raine as they were now accustomed to. He found it comfortable, even pleasurable to walk besides her now.

"That was an…interesting way of getting rid of one of the enemies."

Raine chuckled lightly. "It didn't seem worth conjuring a photon spell just to get rid of one snake. Besides, I wasn't the only one…I saw you stepping on that other snake."

"Ah but the difference was I knew it was there, and planned to step on it." He stated and Raine couldn't tell whether or not he was being serious.

"Of course you did." She replied, in a tone equally as indistinct.

"Hey guys!" Lloyd was calling from the front and the adults turned their heads from each other to look at the boy. "You wanna head into the House of salvation?"

"We haven't been walking that long. It's too early to take a break." Kratos shook his head.

"Yes, but we may be able to gather some information from the local tourists about the location of the seal." Raine stated, shifting her staff.

"If you think it's worth it, then very well."

He called back to Lloyd, affirming the choice to head for the resting point as Raine looked over the scenery.

They headed on in relative silence, coming across the house of salvation after just another hour of walking. Like all others, there were people gathered outside, discussing various issues that they had heard whist travelling. One discussion interested them in particular, though it bore no particular relevance to the journey, and Raine in particular listened intently.

"Legend has it that a unicorn lives in this area," One man was saying to the other "It seems the unicorn will appear before a pure maiden. They say that sometimes, the visage of the unicorn appears on the surface of Lake Umacy."

"Wow, a unicorn!" Genis exclaimed, turning to Raine, whilst the man turned and glared at them for listening in on the conversation.

"Do you want to head there? It'll take us a little more west, into the lower mountain ranges of the area." Kratos asked.

"It may be worth just looking….how long would it take us to reach there? If it's more than a couple of hours out of the way, then we should avoid it and just hope to pass by later." Raine replied, tapping her chin in thought.

"It'll take perhaps two hours, we can rest there and then head for the mausoleum, with any luck."

"Well…I suppose it can't hurt to look," Rained turned to Colette "What do you think, Colette?"

"Um…um…I'd like to go and see the unicorn, if it's there."

"Then we head to Lake Umacy." Kratos finished, eyeing Lloyd when he noticed the boy frowning. "Is something wrong, Lloyd?"

"Hmm? No…I'm fine…which way is Lake Umacy?"

"North-west."

"Alright, unicorn here we come!" Lloyd exclaimed, dashing out of the area, the other two in tow.

Kratos and Raine followed at a slower pace, one lost in thought, the other scanning the area for enemies more intently now, his eyes glancing back to the boy guiding them. His expression was becoming somewhat strained as they carried on, and his attempts to chat with Colette and Genis failed after a while.

Raine lifted her head, noting the concern on Kratos' face. "Is something wrong?"

"Lloyd…" the name passed his lips softly "he seems to be having some difficulty."

"How far are we from the lake?"

"About half an hour."

"We should rest there, and see how he's doing from there…I wonder what's causing it though. He seemed alright earlier."

"I heard him cry out during the fight with the snakes, but he didn't show any sign of injury…perhaps I missed it though."

Raine shook her head, silver strands flicking out at the motion. "No, he would've told us."

"Hnn…"

Within the half hour, they had reached the lake and Lloyd stopped by the water's edge gratefully as the others stared out over the expanse of water.

And there, within the depths of the clear lake, was a shimmering white equine figure, a golden, twisted horn protruding from the centre of its forehead.

"Look at that." Lloyd gasped, lifting his head to look at the creature, water that he had splashed on his face sliding down his skin. He seemed to have grown pale during the walk.

"It's beautiful…" Colette whispered as she looked at the creature reverentially, her voice holding the tone of wonder that all girls seemed to get when they looked at horses.

"It's a unicorn! Raine, it's a unicorn!" Genis squeaked, hopping around in excitement until Raine let her hand drop onto his shoulder to still him.

"Yes. But why is it…"

There appeared to be a pocket of water surrounding the slumbering creature, and piled above that, the remains of tree trunks that had fallen years ago.

"It's like a prison of water. There's nothing we can do about it." Kratos informed, looking at the creature with no real sense of wonder. He grew impatient as the children continued to discuss if there was a way to release the creature, despite his words. Until Raine cut them off at least.

Settling down onto the ground Kratos gathered wood, intending to start a fire when he noticed Lloyd, kneeling on all fours looking pained.

"Lloyd?"

The others turned at the sound of Kratos calling the boy's name, looking at him to see the state the boy was in. His face was pale, wet with water and sweat, his body trembling. Raine was at his side in seconds.

"Lloyd? Lloyd, what's wrong?"

He slowly lifted his hand to his neck.

"Think…I got bitten…"

Grabbing the collar of his shirt, she yanked it down, finding two perfect purple puncture wounds in his neck, the skin around them webbed with thin, purple veins.

"He's been poisoned by a snake." She turned to Kratos, and the man joined he a moment later to kneel beside her and examine the wound.

"This happened hours ago though…the poison can't be fatal or he'd be dead by now but…at this stage its going to be advanced enough that he'll need a specific treatment. A simple spell or panacea bottle won't be enough."

"The nearest civilisation is the house of salvation…but they don't have a doctor there."

"No…but…Luin does."

"It'll be too far away."

"Not unless one of us takes him on Noishe."

Raine stood as Kratos remained beside the boy, putting a hand out to steady him when he trembled.

"We don't have much of a choice, I suppose," she sighed "Get him on Noishe and take him to Luin, we'll meet you there."

Kratos shook his head. "You take him. Noishe will be able to find the way, and you're considerably lighter than me, you'll get there faster."

"But…"

"I can stay behind with the chosen and Genis, and I know the way. None of you do, so if you get lost…"

After a moment, Raine nodded. "Alright."

Calling Noishe over, Kratos pulled Lloyd to his feet, finding the boy unable to stand, despite the aid and the older man was forced to lift the boy into his arms before placing him on the 'dog', Raine clambering on behind the boy.

"Get a bed in the inn. We'll meet you there." Kratos slapped the animal's flank hard as Raine nodded, sending the creature galloping off at a furious pace.

"…Is he gonna be alright?" Genis asked, shuffling forwards to look up at Kratos.

"Providing they get there in time. We should follow."

--

Raine sat uncomfortably on a chair beside the bed Lloyd slept in, watching over him as she waited for the others to arrive. The doctor had already attended to Lloyd, given him the antidote and disappeared, claiming that the young man would be back on his feet within a few days. Apparently, they got a lot of poisoned travellers coming in here.

Resting her hand upon his head briefly, she sank back into the chair, finding his high temperature to have cooled a little. With the boy seemingly recovering, she closed her eyes, thinking over the events of the past few days.

To think that this was just the 18th day of their journey, to think that they'd travelled so far, done so much, met so many new people…formed so many new relationships. Now, as she thought about it, they weren't far off from the end…half of their journey was done already and she felt a sudden pang in her chest…and she wasn't sure whether it was the ending of Colette's journey, or her own personal one that upset her more. She had thought, before she came on this journey, that she was mature, that she had a lot of what she already wanted in life…and yet now she realised how young she really was, how much there was to do and see, how many people there were out there to form new relationships with.

Her last real relationship had ended….badly, to say the least and this journey had taught her that despite her previous beliefs, she did want and indeed, _need _a companion to spend her life with. Someone whom she could associate with, who had intelligence, strength, maturity but a youthful side too. She wondered if the person she was gravitating towards had that youthful side, for though he looked young enough, he acted so wisely at times, was so calm and rational…and the idea of his contrast, the man he was in battle, the man he was with the children, and the man he was when he was with her…that's what made her want him…and she had finally admitted it to herself. Now all she had to do was stop herself from yearning after him. Admitting you are interested in someone was one thing, but she wouldn't bend to him…and she wondered he admired that in her, or if he hated it. He was a strong character himself, used to getting his own way, yet he had deferred to her wishes frequently. In any other person, she would have found the behaviour pandering and annoying, in him, it was flattering. Though, she hated herself for allowing herself to feel flattered by him. But she supposed it couldn't be helped…that was what happened when you found yourself looking at someone in a romantic manner.

She grinned to herself, remembering yesterday. She had caught a glimpse of his face as she had walked off with Linar to do the research on the Balacruf map and for once, his expression had been clear to all. Jealousy.

To think, a man like Kratos Aurion being jealous of a mousy boy like Linar. No…Linar, despite what others may have thought, was not her type. He shared a love of learning, and though Kratos didn't share that love, he was willing to learn and could teach as well…he clearly had a rather broad knowledge, perhaps suspiciously large, but she put that out of mind for now. The common interest aspect didn't bother her, it was the match of personalities that appealed to her. They were parallels of one another…Raine, a professor, Kratos a warrior, her doing the job for the love of it, him doing his out of necessity. Yet, the cores of them were the same, they were both lonely people, strong-willed, confident, intelligent and though not actively looking for a romantic relationship, finding themselves inexplicably drawn to one. She tilted her head back a little, thinking of their midnight talks…she should like to do that again, to have that peace and privacy, to be allowed to share and show emotions when she kept them locked up for the rest of the day. He was the one she went to relax with, he was the one she was willing to tell her secrets to. Maybe not all of them, not yet, but one day, maybe, she might…

But it was that thought that disturbed her 'one day'. One day from now, they might not ever see each other again, and though she knew it had been so all along, she became somewhat aware of how short a time they had left in each others company. She wasn't usually one to push such an issue and she may end up regretting trying to take this relationship to a new level…but she wouldn't know until she tried. She knew it was a cliché, but surely it was indeed better to love and lose than never to love at all?

She sighed to herself. Even if she decided to do so, the key issues were when, where and how. Was Kratos interested in her enough to further their relationship?

She didn't know. She supposed she would never find out unless she tried…

Opening her eyes, she lifted her head from where it had fallen against the wall, hearing footsteps on the stairs outside that lead up to the rooms she had reserved. Moments later, the outer door opened and feet shuffled in and then the door to Lloyd's room was opening.

Kratos stood in the doorway, meeting Raine's eyes levelly and she began to fill him in instantly. She had seen the flicker of worry in those garnet eyes.

"He's been given the antidote. The doctor said he should wake within a few hours and be fit to travel in a few days…it'll be rough on him though. The poison advanced far enough into his system that it'll cause some…let's say 'digestive' problems,"

Kratos scowled a bit. "That last part may have been a little too much information."

Raine let a soft smile crawl onto her face as she looked over to Kratos before she shrugged non-nonchalantly, standing up to stretch her legs.

"Where are Genis and Colette?"

The mercenary flinched his head backwards gesturing to the other room, and it was only at that point she realised that he was leaning against the door to stop the two from entering. He stepped forwards after a moment, approaching the bed and kneeling beside it, peering at Lloyd intently before letting his hand come to rest on his forehead.

"He has a fever."

"Yes, but it's gone down in the last few hours."

Nodding, Kratos stood again, opening the door and allowing Genis and Colette to enter. They immediately rushed to the bed, checking the boy was alright, bombarding their teacher with questions.

"He'll be fine." Raine reassured simply and saw Kratos turn to sit in the chair that she had been occupying before.

"If you wish to take a break from watching him, I'll remain here."

Raine nodded "Yes…I think I'll take a look around the city. Genis, Colette, you should come too."

"But…Lloyd…" Genis sputtered.

"Is asleep," Raine finished, firmly "And needs to remain sleeping. Your presence is likely to wake him and Kratos is here to watch over him, so come along."

Complaining quietly, Colette and Genis followed Raine from the room, not noticing the subtle smile that Kratos had been wearing at watching Raine deal with the children.

He turned away once they had left the room to look over at Lloyd. The boy was slumbering peacefully, and from the looks of it, would be for many more hours. Kratos sighed, he wanted to go and look around the city, but someone responsible needed to watch over Lloyd and it wasn't fair to make Raine stay longer, considering she had already sat here for what must have been four hours.

And he had dealt with Genis and Colette for four hours…on his own. How Raine managed to cope with teaching a class, he'd never know.

Of course…Genis wasn't too bad. In fact he rather liked the boy, for someone his age, but Colette, sweet as she may be, had an annoyingly cheerful, not to mention ditzy streak.

There was nothing he could do at the time but ignore her or remain patient with her constant questioning about whether Lloyd was going to be ok. He could understand her concern, but after the fifth time of saying that he was sure the situation wasn't life threatening, his patience had began to wear thin...not that he had let it show, but it had.

Resting his elbows on his knees, he leant forwards placing his chin atop interlaced fingers, watching over the boy in his care.

--

Three days had passed, Raine mused, as she wandered out into the cool, late evening air of Luin. She just had to get out of the inn. With Lloyd having been confined to bed for the past few days, his usual barely-existent patience had completely worn away. Kratos was the only one who could handle the boy when he got upset and she was glad that he had fallen asleep early tonight…especially since Kratos had disappeared about an hour ago.

Despite not wanting to interrupt his private time, she was curious as to where he had wandered off to and for so long. There wasn't a huge amount for a traveller to do in the city, and especially not this late at night. There were a few shops open, the inn, and a bar or some such place, but nothing else really.

Still, the city itself was pleasant enough, along with the evening, so perhaps he had come outside merely to enjoy the evening. Kratos seemed to her to be the outdoor type, not to say he looked odd or uncomfortable when inside, but it just seemed more natural to find him outside, usually standing on something and gazing out over the landscape.

Quietly, she walked over the wooden bridge away from the inn, booted feet padding over hard-packed dirt and clicking over wood as she made her way towards the shopping district of the city over on the next island. It seemed almost strange to her to build a town like this, clusters of buildings on small islands in the middle of a lake, but she supposed it was peaceful and calming to be near water all the time…if you weren't hydrophobic anyway. She looked down into the blue water, lit by a nearby oil lamp, finding a fish swimming sleekly through the pool of light before nibbling on something one of the inhabitants had dropped into the lake.

Smiling, she paused, turning away to look about the city. It was so idyllic here, with sunset settling over the city now, a few people standing around, chatting pleasantly to one another and they greeted her as she walked past, heading for the next bridge. She gave her own greeting in reply. The people here were friendly and open, as if they had never been troubled and she could see, if it weren't for all the water, why people wanted to live here. Stepping over the next bridge she came to a smaller island, the port of the city, with its single wooden pier, a cargo ship bobbing gently in the water as she passed.

The final area was up ahead, the 'centre' of the city, despite the fact it wasn't in the centre and she found a male figure leaning against the fountain wall.

Slowing her pace, Raine approached slowly, trying to walk over the wooden planks of the other bridge as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the man.

He was sitting side-saddle on the wall, she noticed as he came further into her field of focus, his long legs resting against the floor as he leaned over to look in the rippling salmon coloured water, fingertips resting just beneath the surface of the water. Though he was perfectly still, and his face held no trace of emotion, Raine thought she could sense an air of both great sorrow and joy hanging over him.

She stopped. It was rare to see Kratos in such a state…thoughtful as he looked, it was a sort of nostalgic thought, not that of the present, as if he were reliving a past memory and she didn't want to break into whatever private reverie he was in.

She turned away, planning to walk back the way she had come, when his voice fell on her ears. It was soft in the quiet air of the evening, seemingly more emotional tonight, though there were no emotions in it, save for amusement perhaps.

"You're welcome to join me, Raine."

She started, not expecting him to notice her. "I apologise. It seemed you were having a private moment and I didn't want to disturb you…and yet I did, nevertheless."

"No," he looked up and at her, sunset's light catching his brown eyes, "To disturb would imply your presence is unwelcome and that's not the case. If you wish to speak with me, come and sit."

His hand gestured to the spot next to him and she lifted an eyebrow surreptitiously. He wasn't usually so open about inviting her to speak with him in this manner, though he had never made her feel unwelcome…and he had never held such a soft, or indeed affectionate tone when speaking before. Was there something in the water in this place?

Hesitantly, she walked over to join him, perching herself on the wall before looking at him.

He was…relaxed. It was the only way to describe him at that present moment, his face neutral but eyes soft. Sunset cast a warm glow over his pale skin, the light catching the tips of his auburn hair, bringing out shades in it she hadn't noticed before. His entire body radiated contentment… and she was not entirely comfortable with this Kratos. She had never encountered him before…there had always been something keeping him alert, on guard, even at midnight, when it was just the two of them.

They sat in silence, Raine not knowing what to say, Kratos contented with the situation…until he noticed Raine's discomfort. It took him a moment to realise just what the problem was and he smiled softly to himself. He supposed he never had been fully relaxed around her before and he knew people were thrown by it when he was.

Trying to ease her discomfort, he broke their silence.

"I'm…particularly fond of this city," he commented, by way of explaining his mood to her "it always gives me a sense of peace that nowhere else quite manages to."

"A lot of people seem to get that here."

"True. Though…reasons may differ somewhat for each person."

"Do you have any particular reason?"

He smiled in a way that suggested he was going to be mysterious about the subject. "Just some…fond memories."

"I see…" Raine mused. She wondered vaguely if this city had something to do with Kratos' past love, or whether he had grown up in this city perhaps. "Childhood memories or…earlier adulthood memories?"

"Earlier adulthood."

Ah, so it was to do with his lover then.

"I think I understand."

"She…grew up and lived here."

"I had guessed that," her tone was not exactly what one would call supportive but, what was she supposed to do in this situation? "I…uh…"

"You needn't say anything about it. It's just a fact and…she's…" grief, just a hint of it crept into his voice and he didn't seem to be able to bring himself to say the last word.

"Her memory soothes you though."

"Yes but…I think that it is to be expected. It doesn't mean much other than I…cared for her deeply."

"Do you miss her?"

"…sometimes. There are times when I feel her loss more acutely than other and there are times," he looked at her, meeting her gaze steadily "when I barely notice her absence."

Her eyes widened and he suddenly pulled his gaze away, shaking his head. "I apologise…I may have become a little lost in my memories."

"That's…quite alright…" Raine stammered as he turned his face away from her. Was he embarrassed by what he had just said…or ashamed for not still mourning his lost love?

"Raine…I…wish to ask for you opinion on this…matter…"

"You…you do?" she murmured, taken aback and anything but eloquent.

"Yes. In all frankness…" he pressed on, apparently ignoring her discomfort this time "do you think it reflects ill on a person that he should no longer mourn his lover?"

"That depends on how long she has been…absent. If it is a significant amount of time, then, no I don't think that it's inappropriate. It is only natural for people to come to terms with loss and find ways to deal with it, no matter how great."

"I see. "

"Kratos…"

He turned his head back to Raine, meet her eyes again in the red light.

"I don't know what happened in your past, or to your partner. I can make assumptions, but it's none of my business so, if you wish to tell me, I shall let you do so in your own time but…"

"But?"

"You're allowed to mourn…and you're allowed, if not expected to move on. I don't say this for my own gain, considering the situation developing between us," and she refused to let her eyes leave his as she confronted the issue of their budding relationship "but you should move on, if only for yourself. I don't know a lot about you, I have a feeling there's a lot more to you that fails to meet the eye but you seem a decent person despite your job and the way you portray yourself. So…just don't go punishing yourself unnecessarily for having a normal reaction to something."

She took a deep breath, finishing her little 'moral' rant and sitting back on the wall, squirming a little as the surface cooled.

Kratos gave a slight nod and turned away, looking thoughtful, as if he were playing the words over in his head again and seeing if he could take her advice. After a while, he shook his head and stood.

"Heading back?" Raine questioned.

"Yes. I should probably keep and eye on Lloyd…he's becoming a bit of a handful."

"He's just frustrated about being 'cooped up' all the time. When we leave tomorrow he'll be back to his usual self."

"Hnn…well, I shall bid you goodnight, Raine."

She smiled softly "Goodnight Kratos."

Nodding, returning the smile, he walked away, heading back to the inn. Raine sat on the wall beside the fountain a little longer, staring into the rippling waters as the red-light faded from the sky, leaving darkness in its wake.

With the cold of night setting in, she stood, turning away from the fountain where Kratos had reminisced about his love and returned to the inn, hoping that by leaving the area, she would leave behind the feeling of guilt for moving in on a man who still mourned his lover.

--

The next morning, Lloyd was out of bed before everyone, including Kratos, dressed and ready to leave before anyone had even got any sense of wakefulness about them.

"C'mon! C'mon! Let's go to the seal already." Lloyd demanded, standing at the door, his hand on the knob as everyone hefted their equipment.

"Just a moment, Lloyd. Be patient." Kratos scolded.

"Um…can we visit the fountain before we leave again?" asked Colette, looking at Lloyd with wide blue eyes, "I wanted to make a wish."

"I see no problem." Kratos stated, nodding at the girl and she beamed brightly. "C'mon Lloyd, we can make a wish and it's so pretty, too!"

Grabbing the young swordsman's hand she dragged him from the room, Genis in tow as the adults followed at a more reasonable pace. They were, however, confronted with an unusual scene when they arrived at the fountain.

The so-called 'heartless' assassin, Sheena, whom had been trying to kill Colette, was standing amidst a group of small children and they darted away from her squealing in delight at the game they were playing with her.

The young woman grinned at the back of one of the retreating children before looking up, catching sight of the Chosen's party. Her smile faltered instantly.

"Wh…what are you looking at?!"

"You're actually a nice person after all." Lloyd commented, smiling at the girl who took a step back, expression showing surprise.

"Don't think saying stuff like this is going to change anything! You're still my enemy!"

She turned and ran a moment later, leaving the group standing by the fountain and more than a little confused by the girl's behaviour.

Shaking his head, Lloyd approached the fountain with Colette, throwing a coin into it and the girl bowed her head, as if offering a prayer before smiling at Lloyd and turning back to the group.

"Ok, I think we can go now…"

The group agreed, turning and heading back the way they had came…except Kratos, who was staring at the fountain wistfully.

"Kratos…are you ok?" Colette asked, glancing behind and noticing that he hadn't followed. The mercenary didn't respond and Raine stepped towards him, laying her hand lightly on his shoulder as she stood slightly to the side of him.

"Kratos?"

The man jerked, before shaking his head and turning back to face the group. Each of them looked concerned at his behaviour and he reassured them.

"I'm fine. I merely remembered something…let us continue."

Receiving hesitant nods, he directed Lloyd to take the head of the party and, this time, not be bitten by any snakes.

--

The road from Luin to the Balacruf Mausoleum was long and uneventful. They stopped a couple of times to rest and eat and Kratos directed Lloyd through some basic training as they walked, making up for the past few days that they had not been able to train.

He was relieved to see that the break in training, had done the boy's ability no harm. Despite the relative tedium each of them had experienced in Luin after a few days, the short reprieve had done them good. Three days of eating home-cooked meals made with non-salted meats and preserved fruits and vegetables, coupled with good beds and periods of rest had invigorated them. There was something of a spring in their steps as they made their way west, before doubling back on themselves in a wide U-turn, up onto the island that housed the next seal.

The building itself was nestled at the end of a long valley, stark white against the lush green of the mountain air. For a place situated between the bases of towering mountains however, it was surprisingly windy and Raine supposed that it must have been the effect of the dormant summon spirit that dwelt here.

With the white, blocky building in sight, Raine dashed forward eagerly.

The mausoleum itself was a huge piece of ornate architecture. Like so many other seals it was ancient beyond thought, white fluted columns supported the vaguely pyramidal shape, its door set within a recessed area bearing an oracle stone.

"Climb the central stairway and offer the map at the altar." Raine instructed Colette as she herself looked at the building, trying to take in its scale.

Colette nodded. "Yes, professor."

Heading up the steps, she lead them to stand before the small pedestal and as Raine pulled the map out, a section of stone atop it spilt and slid away smoothly.

"It seems to be responding to the Map of Balacruf." Raine mused, handing the tablet, reluctantly, to the clumsy girl, allowing her to place the stone in the revealed slot.

Seconds later, a second pedestal appeared, this one bearing the familiar oracle stone.

"Ok then, I'm going to put my hand on it…" Colette stated, lowering her hand onto it. The far door slid away smoothly, revealing the dark entrance to the seal.

"Let's hurry up and get this over with." Lloyd turned, flashing a grin to the rest of the group before heading in first...or he would have, if Raine hadn't barged forwards, dashing past him and into the cool darkness of the temple.

* * *

I...don't know what happened to this chapter. I apologise...it was supposed to be a big sort of emotional thing for Kratos but it just turned out...badly. He's just...blargh in this.

And it was boring...nothing happened. So, yeah, sorry for that... And yeah...they don't go to Luin for that reason, but I wanted them to meet Sheena there first and to have Kratos' little reminiscy thing...but I couldn't see why they would suddenly divert their course to balacruf for no reason.

Um, still...review please?


	15. Ruin

A.N: Thanks again for the reviews I've recieved. I read over the chapter the other day...and though I've recieved some positive reviews regarding it, I may re-write that chapter at a later date. Or maybe not, depends entirely on if I feel it's worth it.

On another, more important note, I'd just like to give everyone a head's up about updates. Basically, the day after tomorrow (Wednesday 24th) I move to university...which is something of a major upheaval. I do have 2 chapters ready to post, but I won't post them any earlier...I prefer to keep them updated on a regualr basis. Um...anyway, what I meant to say is that, depending on how things go, I may or may not be able to update next monday. I've been told that all the dorm rooms have wireless broadband, so I should be able to post it...but I can't make any promises. Basically, if I haven't updated within a couple of weeks, then the story is still continuing, but I may only be able to update every now and again.

Anyway, that's the notice done for now.

Enjoy!

* * *

Ruin

"Don't give it a weird name!" Raine shrieked, slapping Lloyd about the head after his comment of her going into 'Ruin mode'.

Kratos rubbed a temple wearily, reclining against the wall, watching a torch flickering, illuminating the writing on the wall behind him.

They had been inside the mausoleum for a good hour now, since Raine insisted on taking rubbings of all the writing set into the walls, as well as taking chips of rock from here and there. He personally just wanted to get Colette to release the seal and then get the hell out of here. The constant chill and whistle of wind was beginning to grate on his nerves. Genis' too from the way the boy stood beside him, rubbing his bare arms and glaring at the inside of the building.

"Y...yes, ma'am." Lloyd stammered, rubbing the back of his head and Kratos watched the scene with a mild sense of amusement. The interactions were….something….to keep his mind occupied at least.

"This is a mausoleum which houses the graves of members of the royal family from the past. Therefore, it contains traps to stop grave robbers." Raine explained patiently, tapping a lever to reveal a spike which shot from the wall.

"They just kind of pop right out. It looks like fun!" Colette exclaimed, her usual chipper nature applying, somehow, even to machines of death.

"Yeah, it's kind of funny-looking." Lloyd agreed distractedly, still rubbing his sore head.

"Are you implying it's fun to be impaled on spikes?!" Raine shouted, raising her hand threateningly.

"No, of course not, ma'am." Lloyd and Colette chorused and Kratos rolled his eyes, rubbing at a temple again.

"The three of them sound like they're having a good time, but I really want to get out of here." Genis commented, looking up at Kratos and the mercenary agreed absent mindedly.

Raine was a little overzealous with her studies, but then, he supposed he was a little lacking in interest when it came to most things…he supposed in that respect he was something of a yin to her yang.

After the woman had finished teaching Lloyd and Colette about the traps, they headed deeper into the seal, making their way into a room with five wind turbines in the room.

"The tablets on the walls have given us the clues so…" Raine mused. "Lloyd, use the sorcerer's ring on that turbine."

The boy shrugged, walking over to the allocated pin-wheel and using the power of wind that the sorcerer's ring had acquired to set it spinning before following Raine's directions to the others.

On the far side of the room, the door clicked open and Kratos wandered over, pushing against it gently. It slid away, revealing the entrance to the steps that would lead to the altar.

"We're finally at the altar… I'm sick of dungeons." Lloyd whined as they climbed up into the cool air of the altar.

Kratos rolled his eyes. "…You have no patience."

Lloyd turned as if to say something to the mercenary, but was cut off abruptly as white light began to flow from the altar, drifted upwards lazily.

"Wait," Genis commanded, eyes darting about the scene "I sense…incredible mana."

A second later, a column of air formed at the altar, drawing in more air from the surroundings, a single glowing orb ascending the column. With a flash the light solidified into a giant bird.

It had an oddly humanoid appearance, long legs, tipped with talons, hanging below a vaguely triangular torso, large blue wings tipped with yellow and green curving off where arms would have been. Its head, a long slim lined shape, was set neatly upon a short, thin neck.

All in all, the odd guardian would have been considered quite an oddly beautiful specimen…if the group that were fighting it had not been busy trying to tear it apart, as it was them.

Lloyd dashed forwards, his mentor in tow as the others hung back to cast their spells, taking a few well aimed swipes at the fowl's legs, feather's falling to the floor with each stroke of the blade. The bird screeched, dropping to the floor, swiping one of those long legs out in a roundhouse kick, knocking Lloyd back as its talons gouged bloody furrows into Lloyd's chest.

Kratos frowned as the creature leapt back into the air, and he jumped in front of the boy to prevent him from receiving any more damage as Raine cast first aid upon him.

Leaving the boy behind he charged at the creature, feinting right as a long leg shot out to kick him and he brought his sword down in a heavy arc to the right. The blade sank deep into a thin leg, lodging in bone before Kratos wrenched the blade free and leapt back, avoiding a blast of air from the electrically coloured wings.

The force of its own attack blew the bird back and it fluttered desperately in the air for a moment before a flurry of stones ploughed into its body from below. Slender bones snapped under the onslaught, crushed into the fragile body or braking cleanly, making limbs fall still as the bird let out a screech. Its wings were still beating though, powerful strokes carrying it into the air above them, out of reach and Genis twirled the Kendama in his hand frantically, trying to summon a lightening attack before the creature could act.

But it was summoning something of its own, the familiar runes of a magic spell forming at the floor beneath it, a soft-blue green circling around.

Watching from her position at the back, Raine called up a barrier spell, helping to protect her comrades from the oncoming attack just as Colette abandoned her spell, skimming through the air on pink wings towards the bird. The chakrams were in her hands as she approached, twirling through the air with arms outstretched, bladed rings carving into the creature's humanoid chest just as it released its magic attack.

Green and yellow mana wrapped around air currents, tugging them into sharp blades around the target as Kratos turned to shout at her to move.

It was too late. The attack had already begun and Raine was caught in the middle of it.

"Keep fighting!" he commanded to the others, "Lloyd, interrupt its spells."

He darted away from the boy, noting from the corner of his eye that the boy nodded determinedly and rushed the creature again as it finished casting.

The mercenary ran, blurring past the blue and white figure of Genis, skidding to a halt beside Raine. The woman was lying on the floor, her clothing torn, the skin underneath bloody and Kratos swore to himself, calling upon his own, meagre healing abilities to revive her. Mana concentrated around her, healing her and after a moment, the elf pushed herself up, no sign of injury present.

Kratos lingered just long enough to ensure she was ok before darting back to Lloyd as sharp feathers were projected from the tips of the guardian's wings. They lodged in the boy's clothing, the shirt and gloves too thick for them to penetrate, though his thighs were decorated with tiny wounds. He carried on regardless, jumping up as a wing descended towards him again, and he pushed a blade through feathers and flesh before carving it loose, leaving the creature's wing immobile as lightening shot down, coursing through the bird's body.

"Finish it!" Kratos cried to the boy, leaping past the torn wing, sinking his sword into the flesh at the base of the creature's neck.

The bird gave a final, pitiful cry before its head fell and Kratos' eyes flicked up to meet the disturbingly familiar gaze of Lloyd.

Pulling his sword free, Kratos stepped back, nodding to the boy silently as he cheered over the victory. His mind wandered as he gravitated towards Raine, checking on her absently.

The woman was embarrassed, but unharmed and she quietly thanked him for his assistance before turning to watch Colette proceed with the ritual. Kratos barely registered what was going on until light flashed and he looked up, finding Colette to be receiving her newest powers.

"The next seal lies far Northwest, in a place that gazes upon the centre of the world. Offer your prayers at the altar in that distant land." Remiel intoned dully.

"I shall do as you say. …Lord Remiel."

"I will be waiting for you at the next seal, Colette…my daughter."

The angel disappeared, but soft words echoed in the empty air where he had floated. "The end of your journey is close. Hurry and become a true angel. Do not disappoint me…"

Colette drifted to the floor slowly, folding her wings away as her feet touched the ground. Remiel's words seemed to have weighed heavily on her…and as Kratos watched her, he was sure she wasn't the only one feeling the heaviness behind them.

"I wonder how many more seals there are?" Genis pondered.

"That, we don't know…" Raine mused, looking across to Kratos. He was staring at the floor sightlessly, apparently thinking again, but he looked up to meet her gaze calmly as though he was alert despite the appearance.

"At any rate, all we can do is keep going."

In agreement, the group turned away, allowing Colette and Lloyd to take the front again, the adults walking behind keeping a close eye on the girl. They made their way slowly into the darkness of the oversized tomb, weaving past the various traps and monsters, the air seeming a little less chilly than it had before, the sound of wind not so prominent.

It was as they saw the daylight pouring through the entrance however, that thoughts of relaxing for the rest of the day left the group, through a single cry.

"Stop!"

They halted immediately, Kratos' hand falling back to the hilt of his blade as a precautionary measure as the group turned to face the direction the order had come from.

"That voice…" Lloyd murmured, clearly having recognised the female tone.

The purple clad assassin was dashing down the stairs towards them, eyes determined as she came to a stop before them, confronting them.

"This day has finally come. This ancient ruin shall be your graveyard…" The girl growled, trying to sound stronger than she probably was.

Colette didn't take the hint and walked towards her calmly. "Oh, you're here, too!"

Sheena, to her credit, looked completely bemused and panicked, an oddly comical expression crossing dainty features in the twilight of the crypt.

"S…stay back! Don't move! Don't touch anything!"

"Now that we've finally become friends, why do we have to fight?"

"Since when are we?…" she trailed off, eyes hardening again as she regained her composure, clearing her throat as she stared the chosen down. "I have no intention of befriending you! …Prepare yourselves!"

"Get ready." Kratos warned, pulling his sword free as the woman dashed towards them, her body low to the ground as she flung a card out to the side.

"Everybody's counting on me…" she murmured, seemingly to herself as she aimed for the chosen and Kratos jumped forwards, shoving the girl out of the way just in time to avoid the woman's swipe.

And then there was a large shadow falling over him.

Kratos turned swiftly, ducking as long talons soared over his head and he had just enough time to glance at the second opponent as he dived to the side. Another one of those bird-guardians that the ninja was able to summon, this one coloured blue instead of red. If he had had the time and wasn't busy trying to stay alive, Kratos would've sighed. He was getting tired of fighting upgraded poultry.

His blade was up in a second, guarding against a rain of claws that swiped at him and he felt something strike the small of his back. Gasping he staggered at the blow, blade falling as concentration failed, leaving him open to attack. Talons descended for him again, only to be blocked by a pair of steel blades as Lloyd came to his aid, pushing back against them, allowing the mercenary to turn and face Sheena.

The woman was trotting backwards on the tips of her toes, backing away from him and eyeing him warily. She had not forgotten the last time they had fought and had probably wised up to his fighting style…but then, he had done the same for her. The only difference this time was that she may be a slightly improved contender.

He took a step forward, making the first move as behind him the others battled the bird guardian. Sheena took another step back before running for him, flipping into a hand stand as she flung a leg round in a clockwise motion to strike the man. His swords was lifted blocking again instantly as she righted herself, landing neatly on her feet to try another kick at his legs this time. He jumped, avoiding the swipe of her leg, landing a couple of paces back as she performed the familiar trotting step backwards before jumping back, using the spring in her legs to power herself back into the air towards him as her toes met the ground.

He flung his sword up as she leapt, her hands briefly pressing heavily on his shoulders, her attack forcing him down slightly…but he heard her cry out as hot blood spurted from the wound across her abdomen onto his shoulder. And yet despite the injury she continued her attack, her feet slamming into Lloyd's back as she used him as a spring board, knocking him off balance. Little did she know that she had just saved his life, from the swing of her guardian's talons.

She landed heavily, facing Kratos, her breathing laboured as blood trickled from her abdomen. The wound was not deep nor serious, yet it was enough to cause her difficulties.

Kratos ran for her, taking advantage of her fatigue, when she dropped onto all fours, swinging her leg out again in an attempt to trick him.

It worked and he stumbled before carrying his weight into his own somersault as she did her own series backwards to a safe distance. She threw a card at him as she righted herself, hands flickering through a dizzying array of symbols and shapes that caused the cards to duplicate into a particular pattern before they exploded.

The energy from her acrobatics and injury had drained her however and she stumbled forwards a few steps, trying to regain her balance, all the while keeping her eyes on the billowing smoke. There was no movement from within that cloud and for a moment, she wondered, had she succeeded in getting rid of the Chosen's annoyingly proficient body guard?

She'd give herself a pat on the back if she had, for she remembered the last time they had fought, the ease with which he had defeated her without even resorting to swordplay.

…unfortunately, she thought as she saw a black shape among those smoke clouds, she had not succeeded this time for the man was bursting from the smoke and she quickly rose to her full height, pulling out a card, but painfully aware of his blistering pace.

She didn't have time to react as a series of blows rained upon her, some sharp slices of his blade, the others the dull thud its hilt. He backed off after what seemed like an eternity and she ran to a safe distance before turning to face him again…only to find her guardian to be dead.

Scanning the faces slowly, she weighed her options…fighting and winning seemed to be a no go and she held up her hands as the tall man stepped towards her threateningly. He didn't stop until the boy, Lloyd, called to him.

Sheena let out an enraged growl "Why…why can't I win?"

"Goodness and love will always win!" The white haired boy stated smugly, resting a hand upon his hip. The man at the front turned and retreated to the back of the group, standing beside the woman in orange who questioned him quietly. He nodded and turned back to watch what was going on, hawk-like eyes lingering on her.

"'Goodness'?! What do you mean, 'goodness'?! If you're good, I'm good as well!" She protested, looking at the group. The adults standing at the back both wore expressions of doubt and annoyance.

"Not you, too!" Lloyd complained "Everyone, stop saying corny things!"

"What do you know?! When you regenerate the world, my country will be destroyed! I won't let that happen… I swear!" she clenched her fist, glaring at the boy.

"Wait. What are you talking about? If I regenerate the world, everyone will be saved…right?" The Chosen stepped forwards once again, her tone light but serious.

"…This world will be saved!" she muttered cryptically, just loud enough for them to hear before dashing off back the way she had come. Live to fight another day, right?

"Stop!" Raine cried as the assassin retreated "Who are you?! So you're not alone?!"

"This world? What did she mean?" Lloyd turned, sheathing his swords as he questioned the adults, his gaze locking onto Kratos in particular. The swordsman's eyes were narrowed in suspicion, lips parted slightly as if to voice a question. After a moment, he shook his head.

"Let's get out of here."

Confused, the group filed out of the ruins in the warm afternoon air, glad for the light after the brief period of darkness.

Colette was leading, walking to the left of the stone pedestal set in the centre of the ruins entrance hall, Kratos and Raine following her as Genis and Lloyd trekked around the other side. It was as they were approaching the steps however, that the now unfortunately familiar scenario played out and Colette wavered before falling back, Lloyd dashing forwards to catch her.

"Colette!"

Raine rushed forwards, peering at the girl, brows furrowed in concern. "It's the Angel Toxicosis again. Let's hurry and let her rest."

"Are you okay?" Lloyd questioned urgently as the Chosen's eyes flickered open, glancing up at Lloyd blearily. She coughed weakly.

"I'm sorry to trouble everybody again…"

"Don't worry about that, but…"

Colette struggled upright, pulling herself out of Lloyd's arms even as he tried to comfort her. Too weak to stand though, the girl pitched forwards even as Lloyd lunged to catch her again. He tripped over her leg, falling heavily onto his hands and knees whilst Colette landed face first on the cold stone.

"What are you doing, Lloyd!?" Genis shouted at his friend as he groaned in pain, before turning to Colette. "Are you ok, Colette?"

Colette looked up, drawing in a slight breath as Genis ran to face her, noticing her lack of answer.

"Colette? Wh…what's wrong? Did it hurt? Did you hurt yourself?"

The girl shook her head, answering Genis as Lloyd pulled himself upright and he turned to look at the adults again, catching the concern on Raine's face, the blank neutrality of Kratos'.

With no other option than to let the Chosen rest, Kratos stepped forwards, scooping the girl into his arms once again and indicating to Lloyd that he should lead them to a place where they could rest for the remainder of the day.

--

After the intense flurry of activity following the seal and the run in with Sheena, the rest of the day drifted past boringly slowly. It wore on Lloyd's nerves so much that he had actually _asked _Kratos to give him a long training session. The mercenary had complied twice but as evening drew in, had to turn the boy away, not wanting him to overexert himself…or have to do any more training himself for that matter. Instead, he sat beside him as the boy struggled to complete the homework task that Raine had set him, and after watching him struggle over a particularly easy question for at least half an hour, gave him an explanation that he hoped the boy would understand.

He did, and caught onto the subject matter easily, completing the question with a smile before handing the book back to his teacher for marking. Raine lifted an eyebrow at the fact that Lloyd had let Kratos aid him but then, she supposed if it meant Lloyd was learning to tolerate the other male, then it was a very good thing. Kratos, blunt and unsociable as he was (and she meant that in the nicest possible way) was very knowledgeable and Lloyd actually seemed to learn the things that Kratos taught him. Even if, so far, it was only sword fighting and a solitary science question. It was a start though, and the man seemed to have an understanding of Lloyd's way of thinking, and could therefore cater to his learning style…meaning that Lloyd wasn't left feeling dejected over the fact that he couldn't get anything right.

She flicked her eyes up from Lloyd's scrawled writing to see the two swordsmen sitting together silently by the fire, the rasp of stone on metal the only noises they made as they sharpened their blades. Kratos was watching Lloyd with an approving eye as the boy ran the stone down the length of the blade, only to curse and draw his hand back having sliced the pad of his thumb open on the sword.

"Here," Kratos murmured to Lloyd, taking the blade and stone form him. He held the sword in his left hand, resting the tip against a stone in the ground, the stone in his right hand "If you hold the sword and stone like this, and run the stone along the blade more firmly, you won't slip."

The older man's voice was soft as he instructed the boy before handing the weapon back to him watching as they boy did as he had been shown. After ensuring the boy was managing it, he turned back to his own blade, silence settling over the camp once again.

It was after the sun had set that anything changed and Lloyd and Colette wandered off together. After five minutes or so, the older teen returned taking two cups of hot coffee back with him. Kratos met Raine's eyes for a moment before taking up his position as the night watch again as the woman lay down beside her brother to rest.

Kratos watched her as she slept, the way her sleeping figure shifted in her sleep, the slow steady rise and fall of her ribs as she slumbered soundlessly. He pulled his eyes away as he heard Lloyd and Colette return, both looking rather miserable. Neither one of them gave him much attention as they silently settled down, leaving Kratos alone with his thoughts.

--

They woke early the next morning and within half an hour of rising, were heading back to the mainland. With the third seal released, and the guide of Remiel's words, they knew there was at least one more seal in this area. Not being able to pin-point it however, they made for Luin, hoping to hear gossip from a traveller that might give them a hint. They could have just wandered from one place to the next, there weren't that many places the seal could be in the area but that would have been far more time consuming and exhausting.

The trek back to Luin was something of a long one, though this time they didn't intend to stop at Lake Umacy or the House of Salvation. The spirit among the group was low however, Colette and Lloyd silent as they walked. Genis tried, unsuccessfully to begin a conversation with them, but gave up after a few attempts. Kratos wondered what they had spoken about the night before…both were usually cheerful and or enthusiastic….yet there was no sign of their youthful optimism present today. The dull mood made the trek seem all the longer and unbearable and it would take something substantial to snap them out of it.

The fate of Luin was that something.

Black clouds of smoke were billowing from the city of water, a faint red glow surrounding it as they caught sight of it ahead of them. They were running within seconds of the realisation heading for the city as fast as they could, the acrid smell of smoke and burning getting stronger with every few steps they took as the wind carried it to them.

There was nothing left.

The city was still and silent, houses and other buildings lying in ruins. The ground had been churned and pitted by running feet, deep tears in the land created by sword or fallen body. The fires that they had run so frantically towards had all but burned out, leaving the timbers of the houses charred and black, smoking slightly in the afternoon air. Blood spattered the floor, a bloodied Desian sword lying nearby…but there were no signs of life. The few people that remained were now just smouldering, ruined corpses.

"…This is…" Lloyd breathed, looking up to a disturbingly clear blue sky.

"Horrible…" Colette finished.

Raine glanced over to Kratos, remembering the last time they had been here, how he had spoken of his love for the city… how it had been the home of his lost loved one. Now, even this seemingly steadfast memento had been destroyed for him. She wondered if that happened to everything that he loved.

For the moment, the mercenary seemed merely upset at the state of the city, though there was a shadow of loss in his dark eyes. They slid over to her after a moment, meeting hers.

"We should look for survivors." He stated. The group nodded before beginning to scour the first area of the city for life. There was none, only a small teddy bear with one of its arms torn off, blood spattered onto its soft brown fur and comical yellow hat. Kratos brushed it aside with his foot before heading off to he fountain, the symbol of life for this city.

Lloyd rushed to catch up to him, before skidding to a halt as they neared the fountain. They had found life…in the form of Colette's would-be assassin.

The girl was on her knees in front of the smashed fountain, breathing heavily and clutching her side, grimacing in pain.

"You!" Genis snarled upon seeing the woman, he and the remaining members of the group filing in as they surrounded her "Now you're even over here?!"

Lloyd turned, shooting Genis an annoyed look before pacing forwards to kneel in front of the woman.

"What happened? You're badly wounded."

Sheena lifted her head slowly, meeting Lloyd's gaze, her own glazed, body trembling, wavering as she lifted her head.

"… It's you guys. If you want to finish me off, now's your chance. I don't have any strength left to fight."

"You're hurt badly," Colette squeaked looking at the other girl before turning to the oldest female in the group "Professor! Please…heal her."

Raine nodded "…I will, but first, I want you to tell me what happened here. It seems she has companions, and this may just be a trap to catch us off guard."

"Hah! You're as devious as you look." Sheena scoffed, glaring up at Raine.

The Professor shrugged casually. "…Call me what you like."

Kratos lifted his gaze from Sheena to Raine, listening to the strength in her voice as she shrugged the comment aside, pleased with her reaction. She didn't pander to anyone…nor care what they thought, and he admired the strength she possessed to be able to do that.

Sheena remained silent for a moment before acquiescing "Take a look at this city. Everything's in ruin. The Desians…" She panted heavily, clenching her teeth "invaded."

"What?!" Lloyd baulked, standing up in alarm as she delivered the news.

"The people of this city had been hiding some folks who escaped from the ranch. The Desians found out about it, and not only was the entire population forced to go to the ranch, but the city was destroyed."

Silence fell upon them as the weight of the situation sank in. The thought of all those people, suffering at the hands of the Desians, was almost incomprehensible.

The silence was shattered a moment later, however, by a shrill scream.

"Help me, please!"

The pastor of the local church ran into the clearing, glancing behind him in terror, and a moment later as the lumbering shadow fell upon them, they realised why.

"It's Clara! She managed to get all the way here!" Raine took a cautious step back, raising her staff slightly.

Sheena was on her feet in seconds, staggering upright and pulling out her cards despite her weakened state. She charged forwards, halting in front of the deformed creature.

"Stay back, you monster!"

Clara instantly reacted to the raised voice, letting out her own warbled roar as a huge claw swung upwards into Sheena, claws tearing through the flesh of her abdomen. She screamed, dropping to the floor as Colette rushed forwards, wings pulled out, begging the woman before her to stop.

Clara roared again, throwing another one of those huge claws up at the chosen, knocking her from the sky with a cry before lumbering her way past the rest of the group.

"Colette, are you okay?" Genis asked, running for the girl.

"Y…yes." She stuttered, climbing to her feet.

Sheena, however, remained on the floor, arms folded over her heavily bleeding torso, as blood trickled past her arms, pooling onto the floor.

"She's lost a lot of blood." Kratos pointed out quietly, looking over to Raine. The woman seemed not to be aware of his gaze on her, for she remained looking at the girl at their feet.

"You're right," Lloyd stated, looking at one teacher before turning to the other "Professor, please heal her."

"Professor, please!" Colette begged.

Raine rolled her eyes, heaving a heavy sigh "…Fine. But I swear, you're all way too soft hearted for your own good."

She stepped forwards, kneeling before the injured woman and calling upon her healing arts, watching as she become shrouded in the light of mana, injuries healing flawlessly. After a moment, Raine pulled away, allowing Sheena to stand.

"…Why…why did you save me?"

"Probably for the same reason you saved that man." Lloyd answered softly.

"…Thanks. I swear to repay this debt. Farewell…"

"Are you leaving?" Colette questioned, stepping towards the woman who rolled her eyes.

"Of course! I'm trying to kill you! Do you think I'm going to stay and play nice with you in a place like this?"

"Oh. That's true. But please be careful."

"…You're not supposed to care about your enemy!" Sheena fumed, storming out of the city.

A moment passed before anyone made any motion and it was Kratos, who flicked a piece of stone idly into the ruined fountain who broke the silence.

"So what are our plans now?"

Lloyd looked across at Kratos. "I…guess we should help out the people who've been taken to the ranch."

"Do you think that wise?" Raine asked, and all eyes turned on her.

"What?! Professor, we can't just leave them there to rot!"

"I know but…this will be a huge undertaking…to break into a ranch and sneak the prisoners out with just the five of us…"

"It will be a challenge," Kratos stated, his voice firm as he turned to Raine "but it is something that we must do. I am in complete agreement with Lloyd this time."

Raine looked up at the man who towered over her. He wasn't stupid…he knew the risks of what he was proposing and though she knew he was being influenced by his emotions, she realised that if there was one person as of the moment she would do something stupid for it was him. Beneath those seemingly calm eyes, she knew there was an ocean of emotion swimming and, as she thought about it, he had indulged her on issues he must have considered pointless or stupid…here, he had real reason for his choice. Who was she to deny him?

"Alright. I trust your decision and judgement…"

Kratos nodded to her in silent thanks.

"Then I suggest we get a move on. The Asgard ranch is to the north-east, didn't the girl say?"

"Yeah, but what we gonna do, just burst in?" Genis asked.

"For the moment, I think we should merely get there, then plan a course of action as the situation dictates." Kratos answered, and the group agreed quietly, letting the man turn and lead them from the devastated city.

--

It was only a few hours later when the group snuck between the trunks of towering trees, passing on the shadow speckled dirt ground that surrounded the black structure of the Asgard ranch. Footprints made by heavily booted feet were set into the ground, evidence of the many guard patrols around the perimeter of the ranch, and the group followed them to the entrance, hidden by trees as they halted at a clearing just before the entrance.

"The security is intense. It's completely different from last time." Genis murmured, watching as the guards changed shift.

"Yeah. Even if we get inside…" Lloyd mused. Kratos remained silent, leaning against a tree trunk as sharp eyes scanned the situation, lips set into a grim line.

Raine glanced at him, then back to the ranch, working to find a way in. Eventually she settled on one, though she couldn't be certain of its reliability.

"Hmm…there is a way though…"

"Professor, I bet you're thinking the same thing I'm thinking." Lloyd stated, turning back to her.

"What? What are we going to do?" Colette questioned.

"We'll disguise ourselves as Desians and sneak in."

"…I see the gears in your head move quickly only at times like this." Raine quipped.

"…What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't think this is the best plan either, but do we have any other choice?" Raine turned aside, refraining from answering Lloyd's question.

"…The Desians patrol is here. What shall we do?" Kratos asked suddenly, cutting Lloyd off as he made to open his mouth to retort. Instead, he gave an answer.

"Ok, let's hide behind those trees and ambush them".

They quickly dove into the shadows cast by the nearby trees, watching the trio of Desians approach with tingling nerves, waiting until they drew level before pouncing upon them.

It was a flurry of motion, weapons colliding with each other and hissing through the air, the light of magic dancing around the commotion until the Desians fell to the ground, one by one with a cry of pain.

Instantly Lloyd, Raine and Kratos set to removing the uniforms from the bodies. A shout of alarm made them turn, finding the guards at the gates heading towards them and they quickly dashed away with the uniforms, leaving the corpses clad in only their underwear.

"Let's return to Luin first. We don't know when the enemy may spot us." Raine stated, as Lloyd held one of the uniforms aloft.

"Yeah, you're right."

They returned to the city the Desians had ruined as quickly as possible, the light waning as they travelled and they set up a campfire under the cover of one of the less damaged buildings.

"We're finally going to infiltrate the ranch." Genis mused, looking at the uniforms spread out before the fire.

"We have to decide who will be the Desian." Raine reminded them softly.

"What do you mean, Professor?" Lloyd questioned as he lifted one of them.

"Only one of the Desian uniforms we just obtained looks like it can be used," she explained "So everyone else is going to have to be prisoners."

"Me! Me! I'll be the Desian!" Lloyd raised his hand, grinning excitedly.

"…This is not a game." Kratos scolded harshly.

Raine stepped forwards, pulling one of the smaller uniforms from beside the fire towards her, before disappearing behind a partly standing wall.

"Hey, that's not fair, Professor!" Lloyd whined as she reappeared in the somewhat skimpy uniform, apparently missing the irritated look that Kratos shot at him.

"It's not about fairness. This will look the most natural. Besides, this is a uniform for females. You won't be able to wear it." She pointed out. Apparently Lloyd hadn't noticed the low cut of the chest plate or the thigh-high high-heeled boots and high cut shorts that left the pale skin of her upper thighs bare.

With the issue decided, Kratos suggested the group get some sleep as Raine disappeared to change into her regular outfit.

Despite the situation, Kratos found himself somewhat disappointed over her change. Though he was not a fan of the Desians and therefore, their attire, he had to admit, Raine had modelled the female uniform well. She had the perfect figure to balance the heavy build of the uniform, a perfect skin tone to contrast to the dark colours of the outfit.

She lifted an eyebrow as she notice him look her over, before settling down beside him.

"Any thoughts on tomorrow?"

"It'll be dangerous, but I feel it's necessary."

"Is that all?"

He glanced over to her. "What would you like me to divulge?"

"...Only what you would feel comfortable with. I know that you are in favour of rescuing those people because they're Luin's people and you probably feel that it is owed, given the fact your lover came from Luin."

Kratos didn't answer for some time Raine remained silent.

"You...are right about the reason I want to help rescue those people though."

Raine smiled to herself a little. "I know."

Kratos turned to face her slowly, a bemused smile flickering over his lips "I see."

"We'll have to be careful though. I imagine the news of the fate of Palmacosta's ranch will have reached the master of this ranch."

"No doubt. I have heard that the Asgard ranch leader is particularly cruel."

"Crueller than the others? I find that difficult to believe given the state we've seen some of the prisoners in before now."

Kratos gave a small shrug. "It's merely what I've heard, and though I don't usually pay people's whisperings much mind, it wouldn't be a bad idea to be more cautious than usual when we enter."

"That's true."

They remained silent for a moment before Raine stood and stretched. "Well, I shall bid you goodnight, Kratos."

The mercenary smiled softly. "Goodnight, Raine."

--

The sun had barely risen when Kratos woke the slumbering party, and it was with a particular haste that they had breakfast and travelled towards the ranch. Raine changed into her 'borrowed' uniform shortly before they reached the region that the ranch oversaw, and instructed everyone to tie each others hands. As Lloyd worked on Colette and Genis, before Raine worked on his, the professor took a length of rope to Kratos. It was doubtful that he would allow anyone else to enter his personal space like that and much less render him defenceless by binding his hands. Even after Raine had left him to work on Lloyd, he looked uncomfortable, twisting his hands inside the ropes restlessly.

Assuming their roles of captives, the four followed Raine to the entrance of the ranch as she strode towards it purposefully, her clothes and staff slung over her back in a bag as if they were the captives belongings.

"Stop!" The Desian at the gate commanded, glaring at Raine sceptically.

"We've done it!" Raine announced.

"...Done what?"

"We've found the wanted criminal, Lloyd Irving!"

"What?!" The guard took a long look at Lloyd, his bound hands, and then back to the wanted picture, posted on the a notice board behind him. He smirked when he recognized the supposed similarity and turned back to Raine.

"Good work! And you've even caught him alive!"

"I want to turn him over to the Five Grand Cardinals immediately. Let me through."

"Understood. Go on in!"

The guard tapped his staff against the floor, signalling the gates to be opened. They swung inwards smoothly after a moment, and Lloyd caught the guard giving him a sadistic grin as they were led past, into the heart of the Asgard Ranch.

* * *

I'm thinking it was probably better than last weeks. Um...yeah, Sheena hasn't joined them yet, but will do at the ranch since that's the path I take when playing the game myself. And that's all. I hope I'll be able to get a chapter up next monday, but we'll just have to see how it goes. Now, I'm off to finish packing...and play SSBB (since I just got it today! Yay! Too bad I'm not taking the Wii to uni with me..."

Reviews as always are _hugely _appreciate, so please, push my button :)


	16. Shut Down

A.N: Ok, first off, thanks very much for the reviews, as always.

Secondly, major apologies for the weeks delay...but, well...uni is fab!! XD But, my internet took a while to get online which is why it kinda took me a while to get this up. Though I have discovered that 2 weeks between updates yields more reviews. Hint hint, nudge nudge.

And on a side note, you may have noticed that I suck at titles. apologies but...oh well. It's not like it's all that important.

Anyway, I shall leave you to read now.

Enjoy!! (Whilst I go and drink with the people in my block)

* * *

Shut down

The inside of the ranch was cold and brightly lit. Voices echoed down long corridors, reverberating in empty rooms. The bright lights bleached the already pallid colour scheme, giving it the sickly feel of a hospital. Or at least, a hospital that had gone badly wrong, in this case.

Raine led her students and Kratos past glaring Desians and jeering faces into the control room, under the pretence of entering the identification codes.

The control room was a large, empty chamber, a window taking up most of the wall opposite the door, a reviving console set into the centre of the floor. On the far right of the room was a raised area, a door leading off it, a large machine set into the centre. Raine ducked away into an alcove, changing out of the Desian garb into her normal outfit, unable to stand the feel of being in another person's clothes any longer. Especially a Desian's.

The group wandered over to the window as she changed, before being joined by her shortly after, watching what was going on on the floor below.

"It looks like this is an Exsphere manufacturing plant." Raine stated, watching the figures below.

"…So it would seem." Kratos replied, voice tight.

Raine looked over to him, hearing an undercurrent of anger in that tone.

"These are all Exspheres? Incredible…" Lloyd commented.

Kratos' eyes slid over to the boy, an emotion that seemed like sorrow skimming through them.

After a moment, Raine turned away, remembering the issue at hand and heading for the machine on the raised area. If that was the computer that would input the identification codes of prisoners it must have other information on it too. She noticed that it took only a second for Kratos to follow, apparently uninterested in watching the process going on in the next room.

Lloyd and the others remained watching, Genis opening his mouth to voice a thought, when Colette hushed him.

"…Shh. I hear voices coming from the next room."

"I don't hear anything…" Genis replied.

"Be careful anyway." Lloyd cautioned, before directing his friends up to where the adults were standing, looking at the computer controls.

A second later, the door opposite the console slid open, revealing the Desian they had fought back in the Triet base. Botta. He looked as surprised to see them as they did him.

"Hmm?! You!"

"Uh-oh," Lloyd took a step back, Raine following suit. "these are the Desians we ran into in the Triet Desert!"

"They still think we're Desians." One of the soldiers flanking the large man scoffed.

"Sir, this is the perfect chance!" The other stepped up to his superior's side, glaring at Colette as he did.

"…Are you looking for a fight?" Kratos threatened, his tone low, eyes narrowing as his hand fell to the sword hilt and taking a step forwards.

"Wait. Kratos is with them," Botta held up his hand, stopping the soldiers from advancing "We'll retreat for now."

Lloyd turned to Kratos at Botta's words. "…You know each other?"

"I suppose," Kratos shrugged " if you mean the fact that we ran into them at Iselia and Triet." His eyes never left the dark haired man before him, however.

"I think it would be in both our interests for us not to fight here." Botta advised.

"Do what you will." Kratos replied dismissively.

Botta gave a motion to his guards before running past the group, heading for the exit when he skidded to a stop, concern playing across normally impassive features.

Lloyd frowned. Why had the men stopped so suddenly when they had meant to leave? They needed them out of here so that they could continue with their plans to free the prisoners. Lloyd ran down the stairs intending to chase them out.

Kratos watched him run towards the other man, becoming aware of the Chosen moving, giving chase. Frowning, he set after the girl, when the guards and Botta suddenly dashed away from the door.

Moments later it was revealed why. Three Desian magic users were standing in the doorway, casting spells as the doors slid open, releasing their magic as soon as the targets were in sight.

Colette flinched, ducking away from the magic, preparing herself for the feeling of being hit by the attack...but it never came. She turned and looked, lowering her arms from about her head to see Kratos standing in front of her, sword out. He had used his magic to protect her from the attack.

"Colette! Kratos!" Lloyd shouted, concerned for them after the attack. Botta took the opportunity to run past and out of the doorway, guards in tow as Genis and Raine ran towards the trio.

Kratos straightened, sheathing his sword.

"I'm ok." Colette reassured Lloyd. Kratos however, seemed a little preoccupied to respond as he turned to face the unwatched doorway.

"No time for that, look behind you!" He barked, his voice oddly urgent. Emotion flashed across his face.

"Huh?" Lloyd questioned, turning to look in the direction that Kratos was facing.

Framed by the doorway was a man dressed in blue. His face was thin, pallid and pointed, almost rat like, his greasy blonde hair slicked back harshly from his face, only exaggerating the rat-like appearance. But it was his eyes that shocked Lloyd the most...little more than black slits with glowing red irises.

"Well, this is a surprise," he drawled, his voice slick with snobbery. "When I heard we had some rats, I assumed it was the Renegade, Botta, but instead I find the wanted inferior beings… But I must say that I'm quite impressed that you're still alive after that attack."

Lloyd snarled. "Who are you?!"

The blonde man took a few slow steps forwards, leaving the confines of the doorway, allowing one red gloved hand to rest on his hip as he spoke.

"You barge into _my _ranch and then demand _my_ name?" He asked incredulously.

"He's Kvar, one of the Five Desian Grand Cardinals." Kratos stated, brow furrowed as he looked at the other man. Raine noticed the expression, a look that, if it wasn't masked, would be sheer hatred. Why was he provoking such a reaction?

Kvar tilted his head back a fraction, letting out a low, patronising laugh, that infuriating snobbery still present. "…ah. I see that some of you know me. It's just as Forcystus said."

Lloyd was practically snarling as Kvar's eyes latched onto his left hand.

"That Exsphere is without a doubt the product of my Angelus Project!"

And suddenly, there were Desians filing in from the doors, surrounding the group of five. With no way out other than the door that was currently blocked by Kvar, Colette drew her chakrams, hurling one at the ranch leader. He dove out of the way easily, but it left the door unmanned and the group quickly took the opportunity to rush through.

They didn't know where the route would lead to, but running was surely better than staying where they were and being massacred by Kvar and his soldiers. They blurred past conveyor belts, dodging the few guards that milled about the manufacturing room, alarms blaring in their ears as they ran.

Lloyd suddenly skidded to a halt, coming to a dead end, a path on the left blocked by the moving conveyor belt, a window up ahead displaying people being fed into the machine.

"Wh…what is this?!"

"This is where the Exspheres are removed from the host bodies." Kvar answered calmly, approaching the group who had their backs turned to him. The leader was flanked by Desians and there looked to be no way to escape.

They turned to face him slowly.

"Do you mean that Exspheres are made from…human bodies?" Raine asked quietly, disgust and hesitation in her voice.

"Not exactly," he explained, clearly taking pleasure in the looks of horror that were crossing the faces of the Chosen's group as they realised the truth. All except Kratos, whom glared at him darkly. "Exspheres are dormant at first. They extract nourishment from humans to grow and awaken. Human ranches are Exsphere manufacturing plants. Why else would we spend our time raising and taking care of these inferior beings?"

"That's terrible!" Genis spat.

"Terrible?**" **the blonde man mocked "Terrible is what you've done. Stealing and using Exspheres that we've invested so much time and care in creating. You deserve to be punished."

The soldiers standing behind Kvar suddenly pushed forwards, tightening the semi-circle they had formed about the trapped group, forcing them back.

"Lloyd, your Exsphere was to be an offering to Lord Yggdrasill. It's time you gave it back."

"Yggdrasill…I suppose that's the name of your leader." Raine mused.

"Yes. Now, for the sake of our great leader, Lord Yggdrasill, and for the sake of my own success, I need that Exsphere!"

"Again?! What's so special about my Exsphere?" Lloyd questioned.

"That is the result of years of time-consuming research. I can finally reclaim what was stolen by that filthy female host body."

Raine only just caught the motion as she stood behind and to the left of Kratos, the sudden clenching of his fist, the way his lips curled back into a snarl for just a split second at the words Kvar was spitting out.

"What are you talking about? The female host body? You're not talking about…" Shock flashed onto Lloyd's face, eyes widening as he realised just whom Kvar was speaking about.

"…Hmm, you don't know anything, do you? That Exsphere was cultured on host body A012, human name, Anna—your mother. She took it and escaped from the facility. Of course, she paid for her crime with her life." Kvar answered casually.

"You killed my…" Lloyd growled, his words being cut off by the half-elf.

"Now, now, don't blame me. I'm not the one that killed Anna. Your _father_ did." A smug, disgusting smirk worked its way onto Kvar's pointed face.

"Liar!" Lloyd shouted, clenching his fists.

"Please," Kvar drawled "When her Key Crest-less Expshere was removed, Anna turned into a monster…and your father killed her. Pathetic, don't you think?"

"…Do not speak ill of the dead." Kratos snarled, and as Raine watched his reaction as he defended the deceased woman, the realisation struck her. Her eyes strayed to Lloyd, comparing the features of his face to Kratos'. The same eyes, same jaw line, same face shape. The gentle way the older man spoke to Lloyd, providing him with guidance and reassurance, the way his eyes softened when he looked to the boy. The only thing that didn't fit was Kratos' age...but then, people could look a lot younger than they actually were...

The older man's face was currently contorted with anger, though no-one else could see due to their positioning.

Kvar laughed harshly in Kratos' face. "Who cares? They were both just a couple of filthy humans—worthless maggots."

"Don't you ever talk about my parents like that!" Lloyd warned, the threat empty given the situation and the Desian guards advanced on him, aware of his helplessness in the predicament.

And then there was a sudden flash of light and smoke, and the familiar lilac clad figure of Sheena was landing on the floor neatly. She straightened, pulling out one of the familiar cards.

"I'll handle this!"

She threw the card up into the air, and it burst into flame, a green guardian materialising above them. Light surrounded the guardian, and the group felt something in the mana shift, the view of the factory fading to white.

They were thrown to the floor a second later with a dull thud and found themselves outside the ranch in a secluded area.

Raine's thoughts raced as she looked to the enraged Lloyd standing before her, able to feel the anger of Kratos standing behind her.

"…Let's return to Luin first." She suggested quickly, before anyone decided to do anything rash.

"I concur." Kratos agreed, voice heavy.

They walked in silence back to the ruined city, the truth behind the exspheres playing heavily on their minds. It was only once they were half way there and Colette glanced up to her bodyguard that the silence was broken.

His face was contorted with rage, fire burning behind worryingly darkened eyes. The usual garnet was positively black, flecked with red and it didn't take a genius to see that he was angry about something. His entire posture, stiffened back and arms, pursed lips and glare radiated it.

Colette backed away a little before she broke the silence.

"Kratos, you have a scary look on your face." She commented quietly, eyes flicking up to meet his and she saw something within them shift.

"Yes," Raine agreed quietly, trying to soothe his anger as much as solidify her suspicions "Did something happen?"

"No," he answered bluntly "I'm the same as usual."

It was that rough tone that he used with Raine, whom he usually treated with nothing but respect at the very least, that prompted Genis to join in.

"...You're lying. Anyone can see you're mad about something."

"I am not angry!" the mercenary suddenly yelled, hardened eyes locking onto Genis at pushing the situation.

The three who had been questioning him immediately took a few steps back, falling silent, and even Lloyd and Sheena who were at the front of the group, mulling over their own thoughts looked back at his raised voice.

Kratos looked up at the three who had backed away from him and sighed heavily to himself.

"...I'm sorry," he apologized, sincerity evident in his voice. "Please...let me be alone for a while."

He suddenly swerved off to the left, making his own path away from them.

"Kratos?" Raine questioned, stepping towards him as he retreated. The man stopped and turned to face her, eyes dull.

"I'll meet you in Luin." Was all he said before he continued on his way, leaving the stunned party behind.

--

It was dark when the quintet made their way into Luin and set up a fire beneath the shelter of one of the ruined houses. Kratos had not rejoined them and it had been at least two hours since he had left their company.

Raine looked out to the entrance of the city, hoping to see some sign of him. Capable as the man was of taking care of himself, nobody should wander around in the wilderness on their own, at night. Especially when they weren't in their usual state of mind.

"Do you think he'll be ok?" Colette asked quietly, kneeling beside Genis who was making dinner with a sense of lacklustre.

Raine turned to look at her. "Kratos?"

The girl nodded in the flickering fire light.

"He can take care of himself...though...I am concerned over his state of mind."

"Yeah," Genis agreed "I've never seen much emotion from Kratos at all...and he was furious."

"What made him act like that though?" Sheena questioned "I obviously don't know you guys very well but he doesn't seem the type to let things get to him."

"He doesn't have any right to be upset." Lloyd sulked, his mood heavy as he sank down beside Colette and the girl slipped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him into an embrace.

"Whereas I don't feel that's true, I'm sure Kratos has his reasons, I can understand why you feel that way," Raine replied, looking out into the night again "It must have been a terrible shock for you..."  
"I don't wanna talk about it." Lloyd stated quickly, before settling into silence. For once, Raine took the hint and didn't press on the boy given his rather delicate mood. Lloyd was the type who would share eventually when he felt the need to, without being pressed into it.

An hour or so passed and the group had eaten dinner when they heard the creak of wood in the distance. Raine was on her feet immediately, staff in hand as she glared out into the darkness in the direction the noise had come from.

Minutes crawled by before anything else happened and the group watched the darkness nervously...until Kratos' familiarly tall frame came into view, illuminated by the fire light.

"Settle down," he commanded gently "It's only me."

The group visibly relaxed. Kratos seemed in something of a better mood, his face familiarly blank, but his eyes showing a calm that you wouldn't have thought existed if one had only ever witnessed his ire.

"Are you ok?" Colette questioned instantly, standing up and the rest of the group followed suit.

"I am fine, thank you for your concern, Colette."

Raine said nothing as Kratos drew into the warmth of the fire, but gave the mercenary a small relieved smile. He didn't return it but inclined his head slightly in response.

With the party complete once again, the group relaxed slightly, but the issue of the day hung over them still, and it would not dissipate until they confronted it. It was Sheena who did so, turning her hand over to look at the exsphere mounted on the back of it.

"…I can't believe Exspheres are made from human lives."

"This is Marble's life…" Genis murmured, looking at his own.

Lloyd stared at his own as it glinted in the fire light, and a second later, he tore it from its key crest, letting out a guttural noise as he did.

"This…thing!"

Colette was at his side instantly. "Lloyd, wait. What will you accomplish by taking that off? It's not just an Exsphere, it's also your mother's life, remember?"

"But these things make a _mockery _of human life." he countered, looking to Colette, eyes overflowing with emotion.

"But we would have lost long ago had we not had them." Kratos stated, looking at the back of his apprentice's head.

"Don't you think I know that?!"

"Do you really? If you throw away that Exsphere now, do you think you can finish this journey?"

"…Yeah. I know," Lloyd murmured, anger draining abruptly as he looked back at the stone "Without these things, we're just a bunch of weak humans. We can fight because we have these. I know that. But Exspheres exist as a result of taking someone's life!"

"And?" The older man questioned "Those people didn't become victims because they wanted to, but I doubt they would want to be thrown away after being turned into Exspheres."

"My opinion may not matter much because I don't use an Exsphere, but I believe the Desians will defeat us if we throw away our Exspheres now. And if that happens, more people will lose their lives to these stones. I don't want that to happen. I don't want this journey to be meaningless." Colette soothed.

"Colette's right. We can throw away the Exspheres at any time. But right now, we must carry the weight of the hopes and dreams of those victims and fight for their sake, as well as ours," Kratos murmured softly in the still air, his voice and tone oddly gentle, matching his words. "Didn't you say you weren't going to hesitate any more?"

"I just can't!" Lloyd shook his head furiously, clearly overcome with emotion now as he stared at the red stone "…I know you're right, but…but right now… Let me think by myself for a while, okay?" He requested.

With a slow nod, Kratos relinquished, letting the boy wander away into a more secluded part of the village.

"Is he gonna be alright on his own?" Sheena whispered as soon as he was out of hearing range.

"I shall go and check on him shortly." Kratos answered, staring out in the direction Lloyd had taken.

"Yes, I think he'll need some guidance," Raine agreed, sitting down "I think in the meantime, the rest of us should get some sleep. It's been an...exhausting day, quite frankly."

There were a few murmurs of agreement and the rest of the party settled themselves down to sleep. Kratos watched over them for a time, before wandering away in search of Lloyd.

The boy was sitting on the edge of the fountain, just as Kratos himself had done just a few days ago, speaking to himself softly.

"Mom…did you suffer…when this thing took your life? Will you forgive me…for using this?"

"How would you feel?" Kratos questioned, breaking into the teen's thoughts as he entered the area, perching himself on the stone wall beside Lloyd.

The boy looked startled.

" …What?"

"If you lost your life to an exsphere, what would you want done with yourself?" The mercenary explained, looking into familiar brown eyes.

"I..." Lloyd stuttered, struggling for an answer. Kratos gave him a moment, waiting to see if the boy would be forthcoming with an answer. When he wasn't, he offered his own, hoping it would be a help to the boy.

"…If it were me, I'd want to be useful to someone with the will to break this tragic cycle. Then…perhaps I could atone for some of my sins."

Lloyd latched onto the returned heavy tone in Kratos' voice instantly. "Your sins? Like what?…"

Kratos nearly rolled his eyes. Lloyd had a tendency to catch onto those things that you would rather him skim over. It was an infuriating habit he had inherited from his mother, no doubt.

"…That's not important," he answered at length "What is important is your decision about the Exspheres." He stated, before standing up and brushing the back of his dark pants off, leaving the boy to mull over his words. He thought he heard the boy mumble something, but passed it off as a whisper on the wind before settling himself down for the night.

It had been an exhausting day, even for him, and he hoped sleep would help sort out his jumbled thoughts.

--

The next morning they awoke late, getting up lethargically before going about their daily morning routine with a distinct sense of listlessness. Lloyd was staring off into the distance all morning, remaining silent throughout breakfast.

It was only as the group stood, ready to face the day, that he spoke, and then only at Kratos' prompting.

"Well, what now?"

"There is one thing I realized," Lloyd started, eyes hardening with determination "I'm certain that my mother must have wanted to live longer than she did. Therefore, I'm going to live…for myself, and for my mom, too."

"In other words, you're going to fight."

"Yeah. And I'm going to break this cycle. For the sake of preventing any more victims like Marble and my mom. I'm going to help Colette on her journey to regenerate the world."

Kratos nodded approvingly, a soft smile flickering over his face at Lloyd's words. He was doing his parents proud.

"…Yeah. Me too. I'm going to fight on Marble's behalf as well." Genis stated, clearly enthused by Lloyd's words.

"Me too. I'm going to regenerate the world as quickly as I can." Colette clasped her hands together as she smiled at Lloyd.

"I think you've made a wise decision, Lloyd," Raine praised softly, pleased that he had made the decision despite the difficulty behind it that he had faced. She wondered if what Kratos had said to him the night before had any influence on his decision. "People are sinful beings. That's why we must continue to bear the burden of our sins for as long as we continue to live."

"Life survives at the cost of another?" Sheena asked, quoting Raine from an earlier discussion "… I don't really know how to say this, but I don't think there's a way to justify the lives sacrificed to make Exspheres. They have to be stopped at all cost!" she paused before looking up at Lloyd hopefully "Will you take me along with you? Now that I know, I…I can't pretend like nothing happened. This is too cruel!"

"Well? What do you want to do?" Kratos asked, looking to Lloyd.

"Of course you're welcome to join us!" Colette grinned at Sheena, before Lloyd could answer and he shrugged to himself.

"…Yeah. You saved us and all."

"Yeah! Let's fight the Desians together!" Genis punched the air enthusiastically. Raine didn't look as optimistic as her brother.

"Do as you wish. I'll trust you for now."

"Thanks," Sheena nodded "I've used up all of my Guardians, but I'm sure I can still be of use."

"But what are we going to do now?" Lloyd asked, looking to the rest of the group.

"Kvar will undoubtedly increase the security now. We won't be able to get in easily." Kratos stated, making it clear that returning to the ranch was not an option. Either for practical or personal reasons, he felt none of them were ready to return there yet.

"There was someone who escaped from the ranch," Raine reminded, looking to Kratos "He may know another way in."

Kratos frowned a little, but nodded. One way or another, they were going to have to return there at some point, as much as he disliked the idea. But finding the other way in might give him some time to mentally prepare himself for it.

"I know him. His name is Pietro. He should still be in Hima." Sheena informed them.

"Why do you know him?" Lloyd questioned.

"I…it doesn't matter, does it?! …I have my reasons."

"Hmmmm. Well, whatever. Okay, let's go to Hima."

Kratos raised any eyebrow but nodded nevertheless, pointing out Hima's position on the map to Lloyd so that he could lead them there.

The air among them was lighter as they set off from the far side of the city, making their way west, skirting along the edge of the forest. Genis, Sheena, Colette and Lloyd chatted together as they walked, learning about the ninja and she about them. Kratos and Raine followed, listening quietly to what she was saying. The girl acted rather oddly at times, they had noticed, and her answers might give them clues as to why. She didn't seem dangerous, for the moment at least, but it never hurt to get to know someone who might become your enemy. It may well provide you with leverage against them later on.

Yet as they walked, Raine kept a close eye on Kratos too. Though he seemed calm enough now, that ranch and its master had clearly grated on him. Given her suspicions about Kratos and Lloyd, she could only hope, for potentially the first time ever, that her suspicions were wrong. She didn't want to think about the kind of complications that could arise if she was right, not to mention the level of pain Kratos must have gone through if... no wonder he was closed off from the rest of the world.

"Is there something wrong?" Kratos asked after a while, catching Raine looking at him again, a concerned expression playing over her face.

"Hmm? No, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"It's...not something you'd want to discuss, I don't think."

"Ahh...I see. You mean my behaviour yesterday."

"Well...yes, to be frank."

"Then you're right. I don't wish to discuss it...especially not here or now...given our company at the moment."

"Why are you so afraid of showing something of yourself to them?"

"Because there's no point. In just a short time, we'll be parting company, potentially forever. Getting close to somebody just makes them harder to lose."

"..I...no, nevermind. If you do wish to discuss it at some point, I'm around and you know when we can have a private conversation."

Kratos nodded. "Yes. Perhaps at some point..."

They lapsed back into silence for the rest of the trip, making the occasional comment about something that caught their attentions, but they found the silence to be comfortable enough. They weren't people of words.

The days that followed were much the same as they travelled towards Hima. Comfortable silences interspersed with short quiet conversations between the adults and in the evening, training and talking around a camp-fire with the entire group. Yet still Kratos refused to share what was on his mind with Raine. She had managed to get a few, cryptic answers out of him, but they were so obscure that there was little she could decipher from them on her own. The only way she was going to find out was to confront him about it, and force him to answer. Perhaps shortly after they had sorted the Asgard ranch out would be the time for that.

It was on the third day of travelling that the land suddenly faded from lush green into dusty, brick red as they approached Hima and they climbed the narrow mountain track into the village of travellers.

It was a tiny place, by anyone's standards, so small in fact that even the term hamlet was too large to apply to it. An inn, a shop and a grave yard did not make a community.

Nevertheless, this was their destination and they quickly headed into the inn as the hot wind whistled around them, throwing flecks of sand at them as it wore away at the rock. In a small place like this, the inn was the most likely place to make connections.

They quickly headed to the single room upstairs where they had been informed by the innkeeper that a girl named Sophia was working. She had had some connection with the man they were looking for.

Sophia was leaning over the bed, smoothing out its covers when they entered, but as soon as the door opened she looked up and grinned.

"Sheena!"

Sheena nodded, giving a slight smile to the girl. "How's Pietro?"

The maid suddenly look very downcast and she turned away, averting her eyes. "...He passed away."

Shock and disappointment ran through the group at the news. Without Pietro's knowledge they wouldn't be able to re-enter the Asgard ranch.

"Did he say anything?" Genis demanded "Something about the human ranch perhaps?"

"I…I don't know…I don't even know if he really escaped from there." Sophia stammered.

"What about his belongings?" Raine asked quietly.

"He didn't have any."

"Where is his grave?" The question came instantly to Raine. There was something about the girl that didn't seem right. It was actually very feasible that somebody who had been held at a human ranch would neither have possessions and would die...but still, something about the woman wasn't right.

"At the back of the adventurers' graveyard. …Ah, don't think about digging up his grave, please." Sophia added as an afterthought.

Nodding the group turned, leaving the room. There was little point questioning the girl if Pietro had truly passed on and she didn't know anything. Still, the grave might yield some clues and they made their way up the slope to the back of the inn quickly, finding a scattering of dried up wreaths sitting on the floor.

"I suppose digging up the grave is out of the question…" Raine mused, catching a warning look from Kratos.

"Anyway, let's pray." Colette suggested, bowing her head and the others followed suit. Except Kratos who merely looked at the grave, something nearing sorrow in his eyes.

He looked out over the swirling clouds below them, when he became alerted to the sound of trudging footsteps and he quickly turned to see a raggedly dressed man staggering towards them. From the way he carried himself, he didn't seem to be in a particularly sound state of mind and Kratos immediately went on guard when he approached Colette.

His speech was fragmented, just nouns and verbs used, as if he were trying to convey something to her. Seconds later the girl, Sophia appeared and began to lead Pietro, as Sheena had identified him, away. Kratos listened quietly, trying to make sense of what the crippled man was saying.

"Boulder…big…underground…jewel…boulder…move…Chosen…"

"Is that...the escape route?" Kratos asked quietly. Sophia glared at him immediately.

"…Please, let him be!"

Kratos fell silent again, listening as the rest of the group reasoned with Sophia, striking up a deal. It seemed that she wanted Pietro healed from the curse and if they promised to do that, they would be given the materials and knowledge required to get into the Asgard ranch.

"Was there a boulder there?" Genis asked once the deal had been made and Sophia had led Pietro away.

"I do recall something that seemed unnatural." Kratos replied off-handedly, remembering the large grey boulder that seemed to have been positioned a little too obviously.

Moments later, they were setting off again, trekking back towards the east, Raine peering at an orb as they went. All that travelling for three days, just for a three minute talk with half a person...bur at least Raine had a shiny new toy to study out of it.

Four days later they arrived back at the Asgard ranch. They had camped out at Luin as was usual the night before, and so it was midday when they arrived at the ranch again and they ducked out of sight of the midday patrol before surrounding the conspicuous boulder.

"This is it, the one Pietro was talking about." Lloyd murmured to the rest of the group, hoping not to alert the guard's around the corner with his voice. They didn't seem to notice anything...in fact, they didn't seem to be paying attention, no doubt waiting for the change of shift so they could go and have lunch.

"So it would seem," Raine replied "Let's try moving it."

Lloyd nodded, placing both hands against the boulder and pushing with all his strength. The boulder didn't so much as budge and Lloyd frowned, apparently not noticing Kratos rolling his eyes.

"It's no good. It won't budge."

"Then let's try using the Desian Orb we received from Pietro."

She pulled out the orb from within her robes, its smooth glass surface glinting in the midday sun. Bending slightly she tapped the boulder gently with the orb. Nothing happened for a moment before the boulder seemed to rise slightly, sliding smoothly to the right, revealing the small, dark entrance to the ranch.

"But when I pushed it, it didn't even budge…" Lloyd complained.

"Let's go, Lloyd." Raine let her hand rest on Lloyd's shoulder, pushing him towards the entrance as the rest of the group sniggered.

They made their way through the cold corridors of the ranch as silently as possible, managing to find their way back to the control room where they had first encountered Kvar.

Raine immediately made her way up to the main computer, tapping at the touch sensitive keys in front of her, clearly wanting to get out of the building as soon as possible. Not that any body could blame her, it was a sentiment shared by all, not least Kratos, who stood beside her, watching her fingers. He seemed mildly uneasy.

"This is where we are now," she explained, bringing up a map of the ranch. A small yellow spot flashed in a large square section at the bottom of the map. " And this is where Kvar should be."

Another spot flashed in the top left corner of the map, in a small square box on its own. Presumably, it was on a different floor.

"It appears that in order to get to the floor that Kvar is on, we'll have to deactivate the guard system."

"Guard…system?" Colette questioned, sounding worried.

"Here," she pointed out another section "If we don't deactivate this guard system, we can't get to Kvar."

"What are we supposed to do, then?" Lloyd questioned, his tone a mixture of disappointment, worry and anger.

"Calm down," Kratos soothed, but from his body language, it may well have been as much to himself as to Lloyd. "There should be a switch somewhere to deactivate the system."

Raine nodded, before her fingers danced over the keys again, locating a deactivation switch, just as Kratos had said there would be.

Kratos listened attentively as Raine explained the situation to the rest of the group, the split nature of the switch...and the unfortunate complications that came with it.

"Dammit!" She swore suddenly as an alarm burst into song, red light flashing over them "They've detected my access of the main computer."

"Lloyd, what do we do?! The Desians will be here any minute!" Genis squeaked, clearly panicked at the sudden change in events.

"It looks like we don't have any choice. Let's split into two teams to deactivate the system and to infiltrate Kvar's room." Raine suggested.

"What?! We're going to split up?" Genis looked to his sister, eyes wide.

"There seems to be no other way," Kratos stated, glancing to Raine, then to Lloyd. "I would like to be in the group that goes after Kvar."

It was strange to hear the man expressing such an opinion. He usually remained quiet on such subjects, merely going along with them, offering advice and guidance when required. But here he had a preference.

"Me, too!" Genis chirped in.

"And me." Sheena added.

"Colette, please choose for us." Raine requested, looking to the blonde girl. She seemed to waver under the weight of the decision.

"Ah, um, well, then…I'll leave it to Lloyd."

"What? Me?!"

Colette nodded. "I know you'll do a good job of splitting us up."

"A..alright. I'm going to Kvar, I want to avenge mom," he scanned the rest of the group slowly, and a decision seemed to form in his head as he did. "I'll take Kratos and the Professor with me."

Raine nodded. "Let's get going then."

"Lloyd…let's defeat Kvar together."

The remaining trio muttered a reluctant agreement.

"Let's meet in Kvar's control room." Lloyd suggested and they nodded, Sheena, Colette and Genis shuffling off to the outer area of the compound they would sneak through. Lloyd, Kratos and Raine quickly followed suit, darting out of the door to the left of the computer, just as the Desian guards that had been summoned by the alarm entered.

The room they entered into was long, its storage container lined walls stretching back, thousands of exspheres contained within that single room. Thinking about all the human lives that represented made Lloyd feel physically sick.

"Where are we going?" Lloyd asked, when Kratos swiped his hand at him cutting him off and listening intently. The man seemed on edge, and that in itself was a sign that something was not right with him. The mercenary's usual attitude was cautious but confident, yet here you could practically see how tightly-strung his nerves were.

Lloyd frowned. He recalled vaguely that the older man became quite upset at the ranch last time they were, but hadn't given it much mind, given his own tumultuous emotions and thoughts at the time. He wondered why but he supposed it was just one of those odd Kratos traits that Lloyd never understood.

Raine took a step towards Kratos meeting his gaze questioningly, drawing his attention to her. After a moment he nodded.

"I apologise, I thought I heard Desians. Let's get this over with."

A small machine on the opposite wall blinked monotonously at them and Raine pointed it out, sending Lloyd scurrying towards it., leaning over the machine.

"We want shut-down, right?"

"Don't touch anything until I've looked at it, Lloyd." Raine warned, striding over to him to peer at the small machine. It was infinitely less complex than the one she had used earlier and it seemed it's only purpose was to shut the facility down. It all seemed rather too easy to her...the machine was out in the open, there were no cards or access codes required to use it, and it was user friendly.

"C'mon professor, is it really that difficult?"

"No, Lloyd, in fact it's very simple...and that's what's troubling me...it's too simple. The machine may very well be linked to an alarm system."

"So? We can take those Desian' on and last time the alarm went off, none showed up."

"That's true but..."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "We've got to do it anyway, otherwise we may never get through the ranch!"

"I suppose but..."

"Ah, you agreed!" Lloyd slammed his hand down onto the controls, watching as green writing flashed across a black screen. Moments later, the hum and whirr of machinery fell silent.

* * *

(Comes back from weird drinking games) So, how was it?

Um...not much happened really apart from some further realisations on Raine's part. So tell me what you think.

Review please!!

P.S: I will try to keep the updates regular, but I may find it difficult in future, depending on how much work I have to do. Hope you'll be patient and bear with me..


	17. Of their hearts

A.N: Same as always, thanks for reviews.

Now, as a important point this is potentially the most important chapter of the entire story. You'll see why as you read. I apologise in advance if it doesn't live up to expectations, but please know that I did my best to make this seem both realisitically in character and yet emotional and somewhat dramatic at the same time.

You know at least one of the main events here (cough feel the pain cough), so I'm hoping that that doesn't disappoint either.

Anyway...

Enjoy!

Of their hearts

The ranch was silent. Too silent, Kratos mused as Lloyd deactivated the final switch in the centre of the manufacturing room. They were stood on a moving conveyor belt, pacing slightly to keep where they wanted on the track, before they turned and headed back onto still ground.

They had already dispatched all the guards that had been present and Kratos frowned as they made their way up to the area where they had escaped the ranch a week ago, heading left over the now halted conveyor belt.

Passing into the next room without problem they came to the teleporter that would lead them into the chamber that held Kvar. Lloyd stepped forward eagerly, only to find there was no reaction.

"It won't move…We'll have to wait for the others to deactivate the guard system."

Kratos and Raine murmured an agreement before falling into silence again.

The mercenary looked particularly agitated, so much so that he began to fidget as he stood beside the warp pad, waiting for it to activate. The wait seemed to stretch on for hours, time trickling past infuriatingly slowly and Lloyd gave a frustrated growl.

"Man, why do these ranches have so many weird systems?" he asked, turning to Raine, pacing restlessly.

"It feels like this one has even more annoying ones than the others." Kratos added, agreeing with the boy for once, fingers tapping against the pommel of his sword.

Raine looked up at him. "It's to prevent intruders. It's only natural that it's designed to prevent easy progress."

"But we don't have time to be goofing around here!"

"True. If we could simply fight our way through..." Kratos mused, glaring at the teleporter again, as if willing it to activate. His words had a hard edge to them, and Raine caught the anger running deep throughout his body. He was practically radiating tension.

"Settle down, both of you!" She scolded, standing up from where she had slid down an nearby wall before she turned a concerned gaze on the older male. "What's wrong, Kratos? This isn't like you."

They remained silent, though Kratos gaze fell and he looked to the floor miserably. It was only after a few minutes that Lloyd answered.

"That Kvar guy has to pay. That's all."

"Indeed. We cannot allow him to remain unchecked." Kratos looked up from the floor, meeting Raine's gaze.

"At any rate, you must stay calm and don't do anything rash." She replied softly.

Kratos let his eyes stray over to her. He understood her, but she wasn't sure whether he would comply. After a moment, he gave a slow nod.

They fell back into silence for a few more moments, until the warp pad suddenly flickered into life, a soft purple glow emitting from it.

"Hey, it's active!" Lloyd exclaimed, hurrying towards it.

"Good," Kratos murmured "Let's get this over with as soon as possible."

Raine nodded in agreement as Lloyd stepped forwards onto the pad, disappearing a moment later. As soon as he disappeared Raine and Kratos stepped up onto the pad together.

The room they entered into was not dissimilar from that of Magnius', but the ranch leader was present this time, his back to them.

"I've found you Kvar." Lloyd muttered, eyes narrowing in determination.

Kvar turned and looked behind him, away from the projection of the tall woman he was speaking with to look at Lloyd. He turned back to her after a moment, nonchalantly ignoring his 'guests'.

The woman on the other hand, seemed quite interested in their arrival as they approached the man, and her eyes flicked between Kratos and Lloyd. A smile flickered over darkly painted lips.

"So, this is Lloyd. I see, he does bear a resemblance." He mused looking between them again.

Raine took in an inaudible breath. Assuming the woman was referring to what she thought, it confirmed some of her suspicions.

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't change the subject, Pronyma! It's clear you've been stealing research data from my Angelus Project."

"I grow tired of you accusations, Kvar. As I have told you, I know nothing of it." Pronyma answered coolly, glaring down at the blonde man.

"…Stubborn woman," Kvar griped "I suppose I should expect no less from one who usurped the leadership of the Five Grand Cardinals. Take heed, Pronyma. Once I retrieve the Exsphere from this inferior being, I will become the leader of the Five Grand Cardinals. When that happens, you'll be begging for my forgiveness."

"You speak nonsense, Kvar. I've also heard that Rodyle has talked you into joining him in one of his schemes."

Raine lifted an eyebrow, interested in the sight of the little power struggles that occurred between those in power in the Desian's world. She turned a moment later when Kratos glanced behind them, finding the rest of their group had rejoined them. She was pleased to see Genis was unhurt, but they seemed separated by some an energy barrier that had formed.

When Raine turned back, the green-haired woman had disappeared and Kvar had turned to face them.

"Once I succeed in retrieving that Exsphere, any suspicions I might have been under will be but a distant memory."

"Get ready." Kratos warned as Kvar lifted a circle headed staff, summoning two machines with it that floated up above their heads.

"Energy stones," Kratos informed Raine and Lloyd "Lloyd, take the one on the left, I'll take the one on the right. Raine, do what you can to keep Kvar at bay until we can focus on taking him out."

They nodded, falling into their allotted places.

Kratos leapt, swinging his sword in a high arch, bringing the energy stone down to his level. It sparked warningly as it fell and as he landed neatly beside it, swinging his sword against the metal casing so that he might access the energy that powered it, he felt electricity course up his arm and throughout his body. Gritting his teeth, he steeled himself against the pain, taking a glance around whilst he was immobile to see where Kvar was in relation to Raine and Lloyd.

He found him standing at the back, casting spells as his machines took the brunt of the attacks, and as the electricity from the energy stone faded, Kratos cast guardian, sensing mana well around him from Kvar, an attack forming.

A second later, more lighting was pulsing about him. He waited until the spell wore off, and went for the stone immediately, striking it with the flat side of his blade, a sharp metal ring echoing off it, bringing it down to the floor again.

He jumped back as it emitted another pulse of energy, before diving back in, his sword lodging underneath one of the legs of the device. He twisted his blade, locking the two pieces together and using the sword as a lever to flip the stone over, smashing it, top first into the floor. Electricity flowed weakly from the stone, the purple, roiling centre fading to a dull violet.

Kratos turned his gaze on the half-elf immediately, eyes narrowing with hatred.

He ran for him, sword pulled protectively across his chest as anger and hatred coursed through the blood in his veins. He was aware of only the sound of his own footsteps against the floor, his own breathing as it became heavier, the sight of the purple runes surrounding the hated man before him.

He found himself in front of Kvar before he was aware he had crossed the floor, his sword swinging up to be blocked by Kvar's staff.

Kvar's eyes narrowed as he roughly shoved the sword away with his staff, swinging it at Kratos' head, only for the mercenary to step back, avoiding it and then rush forwards, ramming an elbow into his stomach.

The ranch leader stumbled back and Kratos threw a kick at him, his foot slamming into the half-elf's knee making him crumble to the floor, the words of a spell being summoned all the while.

And then there was another sword beside him, raised high above Kvar ready to slice down and finish it.

Only Kvar burst up at that moment whilst calling the name of his spell.

Both swordsmen threw a force field up, batting Kvar's attack aside as though it were nothing, and then he himself was enveloped by white light, runes forming around him even as two blades carved down, deep into the body below.

They felt the flesh split, the bone break, and the burning body fall away limply as the light danced off now bloody blades as they were drawn back.

The darkness that had engulfed the room as Raine's spell had drawn light from every corner faded, leaving the bleeding body of Kvar lying at Kratos and Lloyd's feet.

Kratos stood over the corpse, glaring down at it with as much hatred as ever. Kvar may be dead, but that didn't erase everything the man had done and though Kratos felt a deep satisfaction over having finally completed this task, there was a part of him that still felt disappointed and empty. Kvar's death wouldn't fill that. Only life would fill that.

"…I did it, Mom," Lloyd whispered as he turned from Kvar, looking down to the stone, just as the man standing beside him did, and he felt a sudden closeness to him. His sword teacher who had helped him grow stronger and complete his goal. "You've been avenged."

Kratos remained silent, though he looked to he boy at his side, and he let the faintest of smiles flicker over his face. A moment later, the spell was broken by the approach of the rest of their group.

"We found out where Chocolat was taken." Colette chirped, running up to Lloyd as Kratos glanced to Raine, nodding his thanks for her assistance in battle. She nodded back absent-mindedly, her thoughts clearly preoccupied.

"Really?!" Lloyd asked, grinning now, still on an adrenaline high from the battle.

It was as Colette was looking over Lloyd's shoulder to the body behind that her eyes widened. "Look out!"

Kratos spun instantly to find Kvar staggering to his feet, blood pouring from the deep words in his broken torso, lifting the heavy staff with the razor edge to its circular head.

Lloyd was a second too late in spinning to look at the man and he faltered back as he approached, bringing his forearms up to shield himself, just as Colette dashed in front of him.

They heard her clothing rip, saw blood spatter onto the floor as Colette fell forwards onto Lloyd.

"Colette?!"

"Lloyd...are you ok?"

"Yeah, but you're..."

"I'm fine, really." She assured him as Kvar smirked sadistically and backed away, turning to limp to the other side of the room, his hand clasped over his chest.

There was a burst of smoke in front of him suddenly, Sheena materialising from the fog and Kvar halted, staring at her as she blocked the way.

Lloyd wrenched his sword furiously as Colette staggered away from him, glaring at Kvar with as much hatred as Kratos had before. "You bastard!"

He dashed forwards, plunging his sword into Kvar's stomach without a thought, watching as the man's eyes widened in shock.

Kratos was beside Lloyd in a heartbeat, thrusting his sword into the half elf's abdomen alongside the other man.

"Kratos…you pathetic, inferior being!" Kvar hissed as the swordsmen pulled their weapons free.

Kratos took a single step forward, sword raised.

"Feel the pain..." The silver blade slashed through the air, carving into blue cloth and white flesh. Crimson spurted over the pale ground..

"Of those inferior beings..." A swipe of silver against ridged white, skimming above a blue collar, slicing through a sinewy throat and Kvar wavered, falling to the floor for the final time as blood pooled beneath his severed neck.

Kratos swiped his blade through the air, flinging Kvar's blood from it with disgust before sheathing the weapon, folding his arms as he glared down at the body, lips twisted.

"As you burn in hell!"

--

He stood in the hotel room in Asgard, listening to the discussion about Colette's newly discovered loss of humanity half heartedly. Everyone seemed terribly shocked, and although Raine seemed to have suspected something like this already, the expression she wore at the revelation was a heart-wrenching cross of guilt, horror and sorrow.

Colette as always, tried to cheer everyone up, reassuring them and dedicating herself to her cause no matter what. For such a young girl, she was incredibly strong...although Kratos had to wonder if it was just blind faith or single mindedness. It didn't matter either way, she was going to sacrifice herself to regenerate the world, and that was what ultimately needed doing.

He contributed little to the conversation, watching the sky darken through the window. They would be staying in Asgard for the next few days, until Colette's wound was fully healed and it gave him time to think about the events that had occurred in a single day.

He left the room as quickly as possible as the younger member's of the group headed to bed or to eat, while Raine kept an eye on them. Raine watched Kratos leave without comment. She assumed he would need sometime to himself after the day's events, but she had a burning need to speak with him.

The hatred he held for Kvar, the way he had looked and sounded when he had finished the other man's life...the words themselves and the fury behind them.

She had never seen such an intense hatred on somebody's face before. Even Lloyd didn't seem to hold as much of a grudge against Kvar as Kratos did.

But then, if she was right in her assumption then Kratos' hatred of Kvar had festered over a longer time, and Kratos had lost more than Lloyd had.

_'Feel the pain...of those inferior beings...as you burn in hell.'_

The waver in his voice as he had said 'inferior beings', the hatred that drenched and dripped from every word. The way he had condemned the man to hell.

No one could hate someone that much. No one could direct so much malice towards someone without the reason she believed Kratos had.

Staring out of the window she settled herself into a chair beside the bed Colette had returned to, watching over her. Lloyd, Genis and Sheena had disappeared off to the hotel's restaurant sometime ago. She hoped when they returned she would be able to get one of them to mind Colette.

Pulling out a diary, she noted in it what had happened so far, documenting her suspicions as well as observations of Colette's change.

The trio who had gone off to dinner returned about an hour later and she quickly excused herself under the pretence of getting something to eat.

She left the hotel, stepping out into the cool night air as quietly as she could, breathing the fresh scent of the wind in deeply before making her way through the town, searching for the final member of their group.

Though she was keen on questioning him, she was also some what concerned about what his state of mind might be. He hadn't seemed particularly pleased as he had left the inn, though she mused that he may have just been deep in thought. He hadn't seemed to be paying much attention as they discussed Colette's condition either.

After half an hour of searching the city she sighed to herself. She had been into every shop that was open, including the city's single bar, though she hadn't put much stock in finding him there, and had even gone so far as wandering around the housing district. There was no sign of him, and no one she asked had seen him either.

Returning to the central area of the town, she looked up at the tablet set high above the city, defined by silver moonlight. It was the only place she hadn't checked, since she had assumed she wouldn't be allowed to enter this late at night, but as she slowly approached she could see no signs of deterrents. Making her way up the steps, she hoped she would find Kratos up here. It seemed the kind of place that he would go to to think...isolated and peaceful, with a thought provoking view of the land.

Her footsteps tapped quietly against the stone steps beneath her, the now chilling wind whipping about her, flattening her loose clothing against her body and she pulled her coat tighter around herself, wrapping her arms about it. As she reached the top, she glanced around the plateau, not seeing him. Sighing, she started walking to the back of the stone, glancing over its smooth surface as she did before rounding the corner to the north face of the tablet.

There sitting on the ground where the 'breaker' once stood was Kratos.

She approached him cautiously, unsure of what his mood would be. He was sitting with his back propped up on the stone, his right leg pulled up with his arm resting atop it, his left leg against the floor, left arm hanging limply. His head was hanging, eyes shadowed by his thick fringe of hair, and it made him all the more difficult to read. Pacing forwards slowly, she made her footsteps louder, ensuring that he had heard her and she would thereby avoid startling him.

She took a deeper breath as she approached him, oddly nervous, more so than she had ever been with him before...but she had to know the truth. Stopping just short of him, she looked down, waiting to see if he would notice her. He didn't seem to and after a moment, Raine felt inclined to do something about the situation.

"Kratos?"

He jerked at the sound of his name and looked up, his eyes a little distant.

"Raine," he stated simply. "I apologise, I didn't notice you."

"It's not a problem. But...are you feeling alright? You seem a little..."

"I was...just thinking, that's all."

"I see." Silence stretched between them. "Do you want me to leave?"

The question struck Kratos as odd. He couldn't recall a time recently where someone had been thoughtful enough to ask that. Even more oddly he found he wasn't sure of the answer, though it was certainly leaning to one side of the two answers. He wanted some time to think, but he was aware he had been out here for a while..and after sometime, his thoughts would only continue in pointless, repetitive circles. Raine's presence could perhaps bring him some new material. On the other hand, however, he wasn't sure if she was the best person to discuss this with. Torn between answers by logic, he pushed them aside, thinking only of what he felt he wanted.

"No. You can stay if you wish."

Raine nodded and sat down beside him, careful to keep a distance between them.

"What's troubling you?" Raine asked after a moment, seeing if she could find an easy way into the subject she wished to discuss with him.

"Memories." He answered simply.

"Of?"

"Her."

"Because of?"

"Him."

She wasn't sure which 'him' he was referring to. It could've been either Kvar or Lloyd. Either way, Kratos' clipped answers were not giving her the information that she wanted. She didn't want to force him into the subject, but it seemed it would be the only way.

She reminded herself that this could easily break the tentative relationship that they had, but she needed the truth. And it was now or never. Kratos was obviously plagued by emotions and though she was concerned about his well-being, it was a good opportunity. She would probably never get him to open up on the subject if she didn't manage it now.

"Kratos...I'm going to be frank with you..."

Kratos looked up from the floor, meeting her eyes questioningly.

"There's been a question I've been wishing to ask you for some time now...though I've never had either the opportunity or strength to confront you about it before now."

"I see."

"I'm afraid it's going to be a rather personal one...and before you deny what I say, I want you to remember that I do not rush into these sorts of thoughts rashly. I am not a fool."

Kratos stared. Was she going to ask what he thought she was going to ask? How would he answer her? He wasn't sure of the answer himself...how could she possibly be so forthright in asking if he loved her?

"Kratos..." she began and he braced himself, wishing she would ask _anything _else. "Kratos...are you, or are you not..." she took a breath "...Lloyd's father?"

He started at the question, turning an incredulous gaze upon her. Scratch his last thought, he wanted her to ask the love question instead. How did she know?

He thought back over his dealings with Lloyd. Raine wasn't stupid, he knew, but he didn't think he had given her any reason to come to that conclusion...even if she was right. He cleared his throat. He needed to be sure this wasn't just a guess she had made or some kind of joke. He was sure Raine wouldn't play a joke like that...but, in his startled state, he couldn't think of any other explanation.

Calming himself, he forced a sceptical look onto his face, raising an eyebrow.

"What makes you think that?"

She scoffed a little. " A number of reasons."

He waited for her to continue.

"Fine. Let's see. To begin with, you treat Lloyd differently from Colette and Genis. You teach him how to protect himself, for when you can't. With Genis and Colette, you protect them without helping their skills."

"Lloyd uses a sword," Kratos countered "Genis and Colette use magic and weapons that I am not practised with. I give my knowledge to those who'll be able to apply it to themselves."

"You have stronger emotions towards Lloyd. If he hurts himself, or acts recklessly, you scold him. With Colette and Genis you wouldn't bother. And you speak to him about more personal issues."

"Lloyd can be a very trying person. Besides, I spend more time with Lloyd, I believe I know him a little better."

"You ask him about his parents and give him advice when it comes to dealing with their loss."

"It's a matter of interest and understanding into Lloyd's psyche. Children raised without their true parents can act in ways a child raised by them wouldn't. Furthermore, we can't have Lloyd brooding over his parents when we're in a dangerous situation. Giving him advice helps him deal with it and keep us safe."

The words seemed so empty, so practised and ready as they fell from his lips. It were as though he were a child playing a part in a school play that he didn't want to.

"You panicked when he was poisoned."

"He's a member of the group, I'm inclined to worry when there is trouble."

"And yet you don't seem as concerned about Colette."

"There's nothing I can do to aid Colette. She's becoming an angel, I wouldn't know how to help her."

Raine cleared her throat, thinking. He was good at throwing up defences, but she would find a point to make him admit it. Besides, he was trying way too hard to prove he wasn't Lloyd's father. As if his reaction when she had asked hadn't been enough.

"When you look at him, you see something more. I can see the emotions that cross your face. I can see that he reminds you of Anna."

"You're assuming you know me." Kratos answered quickly, an edge creeping into his voice and Raine knew instantly that she had struck a nerve. Of course, she had intended to. It was that one noun wasn't it? _Anna._

"You've acted softly towards Lloyd."

"And I have towards Genis too, to an extent."

"Yes. But there's a gentleness in your words when you speak with Lloyd that isn't there with Genis."

"That's a matter of perspective."

"You were proud of Lloyd when he managed to do something right."

"He's essentially my apprentice, I have to show some pride in him."

"You sat down and taught him something I couldn't, being as patient as possible, teaching him and connecting with him like I can't. Because you understand him, because he's your son."

"I was proud that he managed to sit down and learn something. I did so because I believe he needed to know that."

She sighed heavily, calling upon the mental notes she had made of things that led her to believe Lloyd to be Kratos' son.

"He looks like you." She stated.

"Coincidence."

"Coincidence?" Raine scoffed "He has the same jaw line, the same face shape, the same _eyes _as you. And your eyes are very unusual. The likelihood of getting two people with that specific feature not being related is minuscule."

Kratos didn't respond.

"Kratos...please, just admit it. I don't want to stray into areas that you find painful."

"I can't admit something that is not true, Raine."

She rocked back a little. If he was going to be awkward, so be it. Though she had to wonder just why he was doing so...what did it matter if he were Lloyd's father?

"The Asgard ranch."

"What about it?"

"You can't deny that you were upset at being in that ranch."

"Is it not natural to be upset when one learns of the fate of those people?"

"You were upset _before _we learned that. And when we did even _Colette _wasn't as angry as you were. There was something personal that made you detest that place...and I know what it is."

"Do you now?" he asked, his voice low.

"Yes. Anna." She stated simply, watching Kratos eyes narrow and slide over to her. "Lloyd told me of how you sat at her grave and paid your respects."

Kratos opened his mouth to respond, but Raine was already speaking again.

"You told me you lost someone sometime ago. A woman that you loved. You said she became mutated in appearance," Raine found her words picking up speed and intensity as she spoke "You were shocked when you saw Clara. You said it yourself, she reminded you of your lost lover!"

She licked her lips, preparing for another onslaught. Kratos was breathing heavily, his face dark, twisted by anger at her intrusion of his privacy. Or maybe he was angry at himself for giving that much away. She drew herself up, preparing to continue. She _would_ get a verbal conformation from him.

"And Lloyd. His mother was transformed into a monster by the exsphere that Lloyd wears, just as your partner was. Your anger and hatred for Kvar was so obvious...the way you growled or spat at him when he called her filthy or pathetic. The way you defended her. The way you helped Lloyd kill Kvar. There was too much emotion for it not to be so deeply personal. And it's too much of a coincidence for Anna not to be your lover, and Lloyd not your son."

"Very well put together Raine. And, thinking about it, I can see why you think that," he intoned lowly, strain obvious in his voice despite the calm words "But there's one damning piece of evidence that puts an end to your theory."

"And that is?"

"Mine and Lloyd's ages. I am twenty-eight, Lloyd is seventeen. There's only an eleven year age gap between us."

"True. But it is, in fact, possible for an eleven year old boy to sire a child, no matter how unlikely. It's possible."

"Raine...I don't wish to offend you...but your notion of myself being Lloyd's father is preposterous."

"Then why are you denying it so vehemently?"

"Because it's not true." He hissed, temper fraying.

"Then why did you comfort Lloyd so much after Kvar's ranch? Why were you so angry in the ranch? Why were you so desperate to keep Lloyd in Iselia, out of harms way? Why are you so concerned about his well-being, so touched when he shares something with you? Why do you act in a way that I can see the truth?!"

He scrambled to his feet, staring off into the night, his shoulders heaving with every breath he took, mouth set into a thin, grim twisted line. His entire face was furrowed with anger...and his eyes were bright with emotion...with rage and sorrow and fear.

"You say that your evidence is damning, Kratos," she spoke softly now, her voice barely carried on the air "But mine is even more so."

"Our ages..." he choked out, no longer able to form a real argument.

"You're older than you seem Kratos," Raine answered simply, gently. "I can see it in your eyes. You're tired of the world's games, you've enduring too much suffering for it to be confined to less than three decades. You know too much...you act too wise. I don't know why or how you look as young as you do...but I know that you are more than what you seem."

He turned suddenly, faster than she had realised he could move and within seconds he had grabbed her, pulling her up roughly.

She yelped in surprise, struggling as he pulled her towards him, crushing her against his body, one strong arm about her, keeping her against him. His other hand lifted to her face, pulling silver strands of hair from her face before capturing her chin in a harsh grip.

Raine trembled as he paused, looking her over, face still twisted with anger. She had never felt threatened by anyone this much before.

He squeezed her chin tighter and she gasped, lips parting, afraid of what he was going to do in his blind rage...

And then his lips had crashed against hers, the hard press softened by the soft feel of lips against hers. She stiffened in his arms, heart pounding desperately in her chest as she wondered what he was doing. She wouldn't deny that she had... fantasized about this but... this was not quite it. What if he was doing this to mock her, fuelled by his rage at her interrogation? Being the subject at which that anger was aimed was more unnerving than she ever would have thought...but she did her best to stop those emotions showing through, trying to still her trembling frame.

She blinked back the stabbing pain of panicked tears in her eyes as she stopped herself from squirming. She worried if she did he would tighten his grip and crush her considerably smaller and frailer body against his...but he didn't.

Instead, he loosened his grip to a more comfortable hold, the harsh pressure of his lips against hers retreating so that he was giving her a gentle kiss, nipping at her bruised lip in an attempt to soothe her frightened state. Whether she had shown it or not, he knew that she was at least shocked and so he continued to caress her lips with his.

Slowly, but surely, he felt her mood change and though the muscles in her back refused to loosen completely, he felt them relax somewhat. Her arms lifted from her sides, coming to rest tentatively on his triceps, as if supporting his arms, her lips gently responding to his.

It was a pity to Kratos that she took so long to respond...for moments later, he pulled away, in need of air. Raine immediately jerked back, stopped from escaping his presence entirely by his arms around her back.

"I...apologise...that was forward of me." she murmured, looking away from him, though she found herself unsure as to why. He had initiated it, worked until she responded. Or was it case that this really was payback for her making him uncomfortable? She didn't think he would be so petty...

Kratos held her, staring incredulously. _He_ had kissed _her_ and she thought _she_ was being forward? He couldn't help it. He felt the pressure rise up in his chest and a moment later a genuine laugh burst from him, despite the all consuming rage he had felt moments earlier The feeling of her scared, trembling frame in his arms had calmed him. Raine looked up sharply, indignation playing over her now flushed features.

Within moments, Kratos stemmed his laughter, though he could still feel it bubbling in his chest, and he forced a look of sobriety onto his face.

"I apologise. That was inappropriate."

"What?" Raine asked, rather sharply "The kiss, or mocking me?"

"Well...both, I suppose...though I did mean the laughter. It was not meant as mockery Raine...I merely found it amusing, in an odd way, that you were apologetic for something of my doing. It was not meant to offend...and I hope the kiss did not do so either."

"It...didn't. Though I have to assume mine did."

"Why so?"

"You...pulled away." She sounded girlish...ashamed...and entirely like the twenty three years old that she was. Kratos sighed inwardly.

"It didn't offend me, Raine, or else I would not have initiated it. I merely pulled away because...well, I have a need to respire."

She looked up. "That's all?"

"It is."

"Then...what does this mean...for us?"

"If you want to make something of this Raine, then I will be more than happy to oblige. If you wish to...decline, then that too, is fine. I shall accept your decision...I merely wanted to show you my...feelings."

It was Raine's turn to laugh. "Could you not have done so in words?"

"I would have thought that my inability to express emotion via language was rather obvious to you by now."

"True."

"So...this means that...should you wish to we can..."

"Engage in a relationship?" Raine finished, smirking a little.

"Yes, indeed that."

"Well then, I have a response for you."

"And that is?"

"...Let me put it in your terms." Calmly, she stepped forwards, until her body was skimming his, craning her head up to capture his lips softly.

Within seconds, he was kissing her back, a little more firmly before they pulled away. Raine smiled at him softly, and for once, he returned it fully.

"However..." she murmured.

"Don't say however...however is invariably negative..."

"However," Raine repeated "You still didn't answer my question...are you?"

He looked at her for a moment before nodding once, slowly.

"I see."

"Don't tell Lloyd," he murmured. "I don't think he is ready to handle the knowledge. He already has enough issues to deal with, considering Colette's transformation."

"Yes...that's true. But...I don't think it would hurt for you to get to know him a little better."

"I don't deny that. Whether he'll let me..."

"He'll let you...Lloyd has the biggest heart I know. To perhaps a fault...but that is how he is."

"Indeed."

Raine turned, pulling away from Kratos, looking up at the stars. "It's getting late. We should head back to the inn...we can work out the details of our situation later. For the moment, I think we should keep the development to ourselves though."

"Yes...on all accounts."

With a smile and a nod, they walked beside each other, falling into a warm, comfortable silence. There were many issues to confront with this new relationship, they both knew. Neither was yet willing to address the issue of just how deep emotions ran, or indeed what they would do once they had reached the ever approaching end of the journey...but for now, both were content to, just for this once, live in the present, under the power of their hearts.

* * *

I honestly don't know whether this is good or bad. I really tried to get everything that needed to be present in...and I really hope it worked. The chapter was also a lot shorter than I intended, but that was hardly the big issue.

I...really have nothing to say except _please review._

This chapter is so important, and I want to know so badly what people think and how it turned out. Feedback is so important for me at this stage. I know that this story is on the alert list of at least ten people, and I know that others read it besides. So please, as many of you review as possible, please? I'll be deeply grateful if you do.


	18. Aftermath

A.N: Hello everyone. Thanks for all the reviews I got last chapter (around 6 I think). All were very encouraging. Secondly, apologies for the slight dleay of this chapter. I got distracted by watching the Lion King and it was past midnight when it finished.

Um...this chapter. Well, more of a character devlopment/ filler chapter than anything but...well, we'll see how it goes.

Enjoy!

* * *

Aftermath

Sunlight crept quietly into Sylvarant's sky, its warming rays reaching out tentatively to the expanse of black above it, draining the darkness from the sky. Black came to deep blue, to red, orange and pink that skimmed along the outer edges of floating white clouds, colouring them against a sky that gradually turned to its lightest shade of blue.

Wind whistled quietly through the city of Asgard, its currents stirring in the small tufts of grass that decorated an otherwise stone city, carrying the faint sounds of a city coming to life. A dog's bark here, or the chirrup of a bird there, occasionally the bizarre, low grumble of a yawning dragon as it woke within its stable.

The scent of earth and grass entwined with those wind currents, creating an odd marriage between musk and sweetness.

Kratos took it all in as he stood outside the hotel, looking down into the gorge that ran alongside the city, senses catching everything. It amused him how the rise of the sun stirred all other life and he watched as people slowly began to emerge from inns, or from the residential areas of town, ready to work.

He himself had not been able to find rest that night, and though he did not feel the strain physically, he wondered if it would maybe have helped file his jumbled thoughts into some sort of order. After last night's events...

He may well have been pleased with certain aspects of the night, finally making a move to Raine had indeed been rewarding. He still wasn't sure on whether he liked the idea of her knowing about his relation to Lloyd. He had only given her half a reason, and while he was sure she wouldn't betray his trust and tell anyone in the party, that didn't mean she couldn't accidentally let it slip out at some time. Then again, she was a very careful person. Thinking back on the journey, he couldn't quite believe he thought Raine hadn't noticed he was Lloyd's father. Sometimes, Lloyd's mannerisms that were similar to his own all but slapped him in the face, and to someone as observant as Raine, it must have been somewhat obvious too.

Although, if he were honest, that still wasn't the issue he was thinking about. As long as the information remained between Raine and himself, Lloyd would not come to harm.

No, it was this new development between himself and Raine that weighed upon his mind. He still wasn't sure if this was an entirely good turn of events. He may not have been at the stage of being in love with Raine, but his developing feelings for her could still interfere with his judgement...and with the interest between them not only known, it was concreted. He wondered what affect it would have on him. On her. The end of this journey was, to his surprise, not a welcome thought. When he had set out, he could not wait to be rid of the Chosen and her cheerful ways. She was not an unpleasant girl...but her attitude grated and clashed with his own.

Of course, this was not his only reason for hesitancy...Anna crept into his mind, still. After fighting Kvar, it was to be expected of course but it left him confused, for the first time in a while. This was why he didn't display emotions and welcome others...when you got closely involved, things became messy. And they could not be messier, he thought, than the situation he was in now.

Travelling as a simple mercenary, with a long-lost son whom was unaware of his father's identity, his heart still longing for the boy's mother, and at the same time longing for the woman that he had kissed last night. Was there truly a chance for happiness, among all of this?

He wasn't sure. He felt guilty for his past, for killing his beloved lover, and now, he betrayed her still. Not only did he deceive their son about his true identity, but he developed feelings for another woman, whilst he still pined for his former love. What kind of man was he? He didn't think of himself as noble, righteous or moral...life had taught him that he could never be one of those, but he hadn't believed that he could be so sinful as to do what he was doing now.

What would Anna think of him? If she could speak to him, what would she say?

He was certain of what her words regarding Lloyd would be...but he knew that it was not an option at this point in time. But it was Raine...what would she think of her man falling for another? Would she forgive him, wanting him to be happy with her?

How could she? If the situation was reversed, would he be able to look at her from the afterlife and be able to say that he didn't mind seeing her in the arms of another, so long as she was happy?  
He didn't think so. He was not that strong a man. But Anna...she was that strong. Still...he would never know the answer now. He supposed he should continue on his path, and let what was to happen, happen. As he had told many an enemy 'You cannot oppose fate'. Why should he be the exception to that rule?

Letting a slow sigh escape his lips, Kratos took in a final deep breath and turned, returning to the inn and bracing himself for whatever fate had to throw at him.

--

Raine crept tentatively down the stairs of the inn in Asgard, glancing into the reception area. She had eaten breakfast with the rest of their group upstairs, with the exception of Kratos who had, as always, wandered off to presumably brood.

She couldn't speak for him, but her night, after separating from him had been something of an emotional roller-coaster. She was still in two minds about this new development between them. Love was something that was purely irrational, this she knew. If you looked at any element of love, it was wholly impractical. The idea, for example, of two members of a species staying together and only breeding with one each other was, in fact, detrimental to the species as a whole. It narrowed the field of genetic variation. It was impractical when it came to survival too. Staying to protect your partner meant that not only were they in danger, but you were also putting yourself in danger too. And yet sentient beings completely ignored the fact and, for the most part, spent their lives dreaming about being a part of this magical and wholly illogical feeling.

Raine found herself to be the same when she was younger, naïve of the world...now, though she would admit there was some part of her that longed for a companion, part of her knew she was better off alone. She supposed that was the scholar in her, that analysed and made logical decisions. Head over heart, it was always safer to go with head over heart.

Yet last night, heart had ruled and she found herself in this secretive relationship. A relationship that would probably end within a few weeks...and the thought hurt her more than she had thought it would.

"Raine...you ok?"

Raine jerked, whipping her head around to find Genis standing at her elbow, looking concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just...thinking."

"About?"

Raine remained silent for a moment. Genis, as her brother, had a right to know that she was dating someone, even if it wasn't actually any of his business. Just as Lloyd had a right to know that Kratos was his father. She had promised Kratos that she wouldn't tell Lloyd of his mentor's true identity, and she wouldn't betray his trust in that. She felt inclined to tell Genis about her and Kratos though, but as she opened her mouth to tell him she found herself unable to.

"No...it doesn't matter. Let's head down and meet Kratos."

"Uh...ok."

The siblings walked down together, entering the reception area to find Kratos sitting in one of the comfortable chairs in the entrance hall, flicking through a book idly. He looked up upon their entrance and nodded to each of the siblings in turn.

"Any progress with the Chosen?" Kratos asked, setting the book aside.

"She's still not fully healed," Raine answered, watching as Genis glanced between the two adults "I think it would be best to wait another day at least to see how she is then. I don't think she should move until the wound has closed further."

"Very well. I am sure we can find something to do around here."

Genis rolled his eyes. "I'm going to find Lloyd and let him know what's going on."

Raine nodded as the boy left the room.

"Well...good morning." She greeted her...well, she supposed the term was boyfriend. Though, the term boyfriend seemed far too trivial to apply to a man such as Kratos.

"Good morning," Kratos answered, climbing to his feet "I trust you slept well."

"Reasonably."

"Why so?"

"If I'm honest..." she walked quickly across the room to sit in the chair next to the one Kratos sank back down into. "I have some concerns about this..." she waved her hand vaguely.

"Arrangement? Relationship?"

"Yes."

"And why, exactly? Is it the secretive nature?"

"Somewhat. I resent not being able to tell Genis...but that is not entirely the problem."

"Then what is?"

Raine sighed heavily. "Where is this going to lead to?"

"We've shared two kisses, and you're asking that already?"

"I didn't mean as in, 'when are we going to get married?'. Simply...in a few weeks, this journey is going to end and neither of us is in a situation where we can adopt each others lifestyles...or simply start a new one."

"I see your point but...could you not adopt a view of taking things as they come?"

"You mean, can't we just have fun?"

"I suppose you could put it that way. All I mean to say, Raine, is that unless you're uncomfortable in being in a relationship that we know is only going to last a few weeks, can you not just accept it for what it is, and get the best out of it that is possible?"

"I suppose..."

"Have you never heard that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?"

"Yes. But I know how much it hurts to love and lose someone, and so do you. I'm not saying that we are in love but...there is an undeniable connection between us."

"Indeed. If you are afraid of the pain of losing someone, Raine, then I will not force you into a relationship you do not want. But I, at least, am willing to go through it to have a chance at being with you."

"I've never thought of you as the type to say something like that."

Kratos gave a half shrug. "Everyone has a side that they keep hidden from the world. Most people choose to hide the side of them that would stop them bonding with people, the angry, bitter side. I prefer to show neither."

"I know what you mean."

"So...do you have a decision? I would rather know sooner rather than later if you wish to continue."

"Yes. I'll go along with this for now...and make the most of it."

"Very well." he nodded, seeming pleased, before picking up the book he had been reading before, signalling the end of the conversation. Raine rolled her eyes and stood, walking out into the fresh air of Asgard to clear her head.

--

It was late in the day when Raine returned to the inn, and Kratos looked up sharply as she entered the common area of the room the group was staying in. She was carrying a book and a bag of what looked like metal pebbles.

"Raine! Where have you been all day?!" Genis leapt to his feet and ran over to his sister.

"I went to speak with Harley, Linar and Aisha."

Out of the corner of her eye, Sheena caught Kratos' displeased look at the mention of Linar's name and he eyed the bag suspiciously.

"Oh right...so what's the book and the bag?"

"A gift from Harley. He found these round metal spheres called 'Pellets'," she tipped them out onto the table. "Apparently they're used for figurine making. The book is merely to record all the figurines we make. I thought it might be something Lloyd would be interested in."

Lloyd, who had been lying on his bed, looking across at the table, rolled off and approached the table. Kneeling down, he picked up a pellet, rolling it between forefinger and thumb as he examined it.

"Nah...you'd need to melt these down to make a figurine and it'd take a blacksmith's fire to do that. Dad might be able to do something with them though."

"I see."

Kratos turned away, back to the book he had been reading for most of the day.

--

The sun had set over Asgard when Raine crept away to meet Kratos and speak with him in private. She headed up to the ruins, just as she had the night before and found him in much the same position.

"Had to get away from the hand-holding session?"

"Actually, I wanted to speak to you, Kratos."

"Oh?"

"You've been very quiet this evening, even for you. You normally contribute something to the conversation but tonight nothing. Why?"

"It wasn't of interest to me."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"So this isn't you being in a bad mood because I was speaking to Linar earlier?"

"Of course not," Kratos answered smoothly. "Why should I have a problem with you seeing another male? I don't own you, you can do what you like."

"Why does that sound utterly unconvincing?"

Kratos remained silent.

"Sheena told me she saw you give me quite a nasty look when I mentioned Linar."

"Did she now?"

"She's not stupid, Kratos, and neither am I. Your behaviour is."

"Excuse me?"

He turned to her slowly.

"You can't get annoyed with me for having a common interest with another man. And Linar is hardly a man at that. Do you honestly think I have any interest in him other than his studies?"

Kratos shifted, but remained silent.

"Fine. If you won't speak, I won't talk. I'll see you back at the inn."

She turned, leaving Kratos on his own at the ruins.

--

Kratos slid his eyes over the path that Raine had taken to walk away and sighed heavily, climbing to his feet. This was not the way a relationship was supposed to work, especially considering it had only been in existence for about twenty-four hours.

He supposed that if this was to work, he would have to make compromises. Besides, perhaps Raine was right. It was irrational for him to be jealous of Linar, of all people.

Nodding with resolve, he left the ruins quickly, heading down the steps and back into the hotel. It was quiet when he entered, and the owner, still sitting at the reception desk, looked exhausted. He looked up when Kratos entered.

"Excuse me, sir."

Kratos looked over.

"Your companion, Ms. Sage, asked me to inform you that should you wish to speak with her, she will be in lounge."

"I see...is that all?"

"Yes, sir."

Nodding to the man, he quickly strode over to the lounge. The room was dimly lit and Raine was slouched in an arm chair, half asleep.

"Raine?"

The woman shifted, jerking upright, her eyes immediately locking onto Kratos. "Oh...Kratos...so you decided you wanted to talk to me?"

"I merely wanted to apologise over my earlier behaviour. It was childish of me to become jealous over such an issue, and have no intention of trying to control your actions. I have a feeling that, should I try, I wouldn't succeeded anyway." He smiled slightly at his last sentence.

Raine nodded. "As long as that's clear, there's no problem on my account. Now...I request your assistance."

"With?"

"Getting out of this chair. It's far too comfortable for my own good."

Raising an eyebrow, Kratos wandered closer to Raine, taking in the sight of her curled up in the chair. She appeared to have managed to wedge herself into it, cushions behind her back preventing the wooden frame from digging into her. If Kratos was honest...he didn't really want to move her. It was rather nice seeing her so comfortable and relaxed.

"Do you really want to move?"

"...Not really."

"Then why bother?"

"I need to check on Genis."

"I'm sure he's fine, Raine. Have some time to yourself for a change...and give Genis some space. He's twelve years old, he needs to be with his friends. Especially with the way things are going with Colette."

"...do you think me overprotective?"

"No. But Genis is growing up and very mature for his age. He's going to want to be with friends when they're suffering...and in what may be their last few weeks, even if they don't realise it."

"You think Colette will die?"

"...Yes. And I know you know it too."

Raine pulled herself out of her chair and stood, pacing slightly. "That's true. But how did you know?"

"Even if one only looks at the mythology of angels, it is apparent. In order to become an angel, you must ascend to heaven to be judged. And in order for that to occur, you must have passed on."

"True..."

"In addition to Colette's current condition, of course. As Lloyd said, Colette is loosing her humanity. She's rapidly loosing her human functions. In the end, it makes sense that she would lose her life."

"Yes I suppose so," she turned to face Kratos "You must not tell Lloyd, Genis and Sheena. The knowledge will be too much and they will try to stop Colette from completing the regeneration ritual. We cannot let that happen."

"I'm aware. Now relax, Raine. There is nothing we can do for her any more. It is our job to protect and guide Colette. Leave it to Lloyd to comfort her...he seems to be good at that sort of thing."

Raine nodded, sinking onto the nearby sofa, feeling Kratos sit down beside her.

"Does he get that from you?"

"I should think that was more Anna's forte. But...I have my moments, every once in a while."

Tentatively, Kratos reached out, brushing the hair that was obscuring Raine's face back behind her ear, taking in the gentle point to it, before looking at her expression. She was clearly troubled, and he shifted closer to her, sliding an arm around her shoulder hesitantly. She pushed back into his arm quickly, settling herself against his body, letting his warmth and strength soothe her.

Raine found her action slightly odd. She was not one who needed others to comfort her most of the time...but she supposed that Colette's fate was an issue worthy of needing support over. Besides, the feeling of Kratos' warm firm body against hers, his strong arm around her shoulders, was rather pleasant and she quickly found herself drifting off to sleep. Content in his arms.

--

It was late in the morning when Raine awoke the next day, and she found daylight streaming in through the window of her stay room, falling over the bed she was settled in comfortably.

Thinking over the events of the night before, how she had fallen asleep against Kratos, she reasoned that he must have carried her up to her bedroom sometime.

Stretching, she slid out of bed, finding herself to be fully clothed and so she went about showering and dressing as quickly as possible before heading downstairs in search of the others. When she reached the reception area, she found no-one, but was informed by the manager that they had left sometime ago to take in the sights of the city. Thanking the man, she made her way outside.

It didn't take long to find them.

In the centre of the city, a large group had formed a circle around some event, and the sound of metal clashing reached her ears. Pushing her way through, she found Kratos and Lloyd to be the centre of attention, sparring heatedly. They barely seemed to acknowledge her presence, and the look of concentration on both males faces only served to remind her that they were related.

Kratos was holding his sword vertically, waiting for Lloyd to charge at him. The boy did so after a moment, and Kratos side-stepped him easily before swinging his leg around, knocking the boy's legs from under him even as he began to pivot to face his teacher.

Hitting the floor hard, Lloyd immediately brought his hands beneath him, rolling out of the path of Kratos' sword as it descended towards his neck. Clear of the blade, he pulled himself into a crouch and burst up towards Kratos in an explosion of energy.

Kratos backed up instantly, bringing his sword down against Lloyd's, knocking them free of his hands with the force of the blow.

Lloyd panted as the blade came up to his throat, the tip resting dangerously above his collar. All around the two swordsmen, claps and cheering were ringing out from the crowd for the elder of the males, his prowess with the blade impressing them.

Raine was more impressed by Lloyd though. Kratos strength and skill was undoubtedly impressive, but considering that just a few weeks ago Lloyd wouldn't have lasted a minute against Kratos...and know he was lasting a good few. He was growing strong, and she had a feeling it had a lot to do with Kratos' instruction.

She looked back over to Kratos, noting that he had sheathed his sword and was now standing in front of Lloyd. Despite the fact that the boy had lost, however, Kratos seemed to be rather pleased with his progress. He even patted Lloyd on the shoulder briefly before turning to Raine.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Kratos, Lloyd."

Lloyd, still sheathing his swords, looked up at his teacher and grinned. "Hey Professor."

Kratos opened his mouth to speak, when he found the crowd to still be gathered about them. He glared around at them and a few at the front began to look a little nervous.

"Have you all nothing better to do? Be on your way, your entertainment is over."

The crowd shifted nervously at the obviously irritated note in Kratos' voice and began to slowly disperse, seeing that they weren't about to get another free show.

Kratos rolled his eyes as Lloyd joined them.

"Uh...I'm gonna go take a shower so...I'll see you later."

The teen dashed away quickly, pushing through the throngs of people back to the inn.

"That was...odd." Raine commented, watching the retreating red figure.

"Indeed," Kratos cocked an eyebrow before turning back to Raine. "So...I trust you slept well?" he asked, a sly smirk playing over his lips.

"Fine, as I'm sure you noticed."

Something that faintly resembled a grin passed over Kratos' face.

"That aside, have you seen Colette this morning?" Raine asked, forcing her way past the topic.

"I have spoken with her briefly. She seems better but the wound could do with some more rest. Sheena and Genis are walking around the city with her. Last I saw, they were headed for the dragon stables."

"I hope she doesn't strain herself trying to pet one."

"That was my concern, which is why I sent Genis and Sheena with her."

"Do you think Sheena was a wise choice?"

"You still don't trust her?"

"It...seems odd to me that we should do. She tried to assassinate Colette and now we're letting her go off with her?"

"Assassin she may have tried to have been...but I doubt that she ever would have gone through with it. She is too soft of heart, and no matter what she tries to convey, she seems an honest, decent person. I don't think she is a danger."

"...I don't know whether I can trust your judgement on that."

"Then we are going to face some difficulties. Raine, I am older than I look, as I have told you. I know how to read people."

"Do you honestly trust her that much?"

"Yes. I doubt her ability to kill someone she has now befriended."

Raine made a thoughtful noise in the back of her throat. "Alright...I shall trust you, be it wise or not."

"If it makes you uncomfortable, you can go and check on them."

"And make Sheena think I'm keeping an eye on her? Causing tensions will not help this journey, and Colette will become further upset."

"Then let sleeping dogs lie."

"I suppose..."

They fell silent for a while, before they began to wander somewhat aimlessly throughout the city. Raine had seen the ruin several times and felt an urge to go and study it, but had remained at Kratos' side nevertheless. With the threat of their parting in a couple of weeks hanging over them, she wanted to spend more time with her man.

The day drifted by lazily, the sky changing colour gradually until night fell. That evening they ate at the inn and gathered together to discuss the journey ahead.

They had defeated Kvar, but now needed to cure Pietro and break the next seal. The Tower of Mana. However, the tower was kept locked for much of the year, so the key was required to enter...and they had no idea where to get it.

After much discussion they decided that the best bet may well be to return to all the nearest towns in search of information. The closest one at hand, however, was Hima.

With that thought in mind, they retired to bed early, including Kratos and slept the night away peacefully, trying to prepare themselves for the next leg of their journey.

--

There was an odd chill in the air as the group stepped out of the inn into the crisp morning, ready to set out for Hima.

The sun had barely risen when Kratos had awoken and roused the rest of the group so that they might get an early start. Within half an hour, they had eaten, packed away their few belongings and paid the innkeeper. So, now they stood, bracing themselves for the journey...and for Lloyd's inevitable complaints about the lack of sleep.

They left Asgard as quietly as possible, Noishe greeting them when they reached the outskirts of the city and he ran alongside them tirelessly for much of the journey.

The day warmed as they travelled and by midday they found themselves tired with the heat of the day and so stopped to rest just on the track to Luin. In the distance, the forest that surrounded the ruined ranch could be seen and Lloyd scowled at it darkly. The sight of the ranch seemed to shift his mood and, as they set off again to continue on their journey, they found Lloyd to be silent.

Raine, walking at the back with Kratos as was custom, looked to the boy thoughtfully before moving to gently elbow Kratos...only to find that the mercenary was already heading for the boy, making his way through the others easily.

Sheena, Genis and Colette seemed to be deep in conversation and barely noticed his passing.

"Lloyd?" Kratos murmured, stepping up beside him. The boy looked over to him grudgingly.

"What?"

"Is there something on your mind?"

"Not really. Why?"

"You've been rather quiet since you set your eyes on Kvar's ranch. I would assume if there was anything to cause your sudden change in demeanour, that would be it."

"Couldn't you just say 'You're pissed off because you've seen the ranch'?"

"I could. Though, I don't understand why my use of language irritates you so much."

Lloyd shrugged. "Just does."

"Lloyd...I have a word of advice for you. Instead of lashing out at others because you are upset, and treating them badly, speak to them about your problems. You will find it serves you better and they will not be offended by your actions."

"Are you offended?"

"Me? No. I can understand your reasons well enough, and I have grown used to such treatment from various people. Nevertheless, what I have said still holds true."

"Yeah...I know it's just..."

Kratos remained silent, waiting for the boy to speak.

"I didn't know anything... About Mom, the Exspheres..."

"...yes."

"When will I finally be able to stop saying, "I didn't know"?" Lloyd's tone was heavy and dull as he spoke, clearly still upset by the events of a few days ago.

"Not knowing is not a crime. Crime is remaining complacent in your ignorance and feeling no shame. Humans are...far too powerless to know everything."

"Yeah, I guess you're right... But I still hate the fact that I didn't know. I feel ashamed for not knowing anything about my parents."

Kratos exhaled slowly and Raine, watching from a distance, smiled gently at the interaction between the two. "Your parents care only that you are well. Even if you don't know anything about them, your safety is enough."

"...I wonder if you're right. I hope so." Lloyd sighed heavily, but upon looking at the ranch, and then down to his hand he gave a gentle smile.

"Well at least...Mom...I've avenged you..."

Kratos' brows furrowed immediately and he averted his gaze from the stone on the back of Lloyd's hand, as if ashamed.

He spoke haltingly. "...Lloyd. The one who killed your mother was your father. Are you really able to say you've avenged her?"

"...The one who created the situation that forced Dad to kill Mom was Kvar. Right?"

The older man looked to his son, finding only a naïve view of the world in those brown eyes. To push the topic of who was really to blame for Anna's death would likely only confuse, anger or upset the boy. Considering that Kratos had only just managed to pull Lloyd from that, he would rather let it go. Besides, if he were to push the issue, he may just end up having to tell the truth to the boy, and he knew that neither of them was ready for that just yet.

" ...Indeed. It was a silly question. I'm sorry."

"No..." Lloyd smiled at the older man "Don't worry about it."

Kratos, looking at the boy, didn't reciprocate the smile, but instead nodded to him. It was one of the more generic actions in human behaviour, but coming from Kratos, it could say a lot.

With Lloyd cheered up, Kratos fell back through the ranks again, his job for the moment done and he saw that Lloyd soon re-engaged in conversation with the rest of the group.

"Well done. You've completed the first role of a parent." Raine whispered. A slight grin ran over her face as she said it.

"Actually," Kratos looked at her soberly "I think you'll find the first role of a parent is sleepless nights and nappy changing."

Raine choked back her laughter. "I can't imagine you doing that," she chuckled lightly "Though, I never pictured you as a parent at all, if I'm honest."

"You're not the only one."

Raine looked over to him. His face had taken on a familiar, gloomy expression and she rolled her eyes before reaching out to lay a hand on his arm briefly.

He looked over to her at the touch, a smile flitting over his lips before he turned to look out over the landscape once more. Raine sighed inwardly. She wished there was a chance for them to be alone right now, so that she could offer more comfort to him. But with everyone else ahead, it wasn't possible.

--

The days spent travelling up to Hima sped by, the weather changing continuously as they travelled. One moment it would be sunny and bright, the next they would be battling against wind, then drenched by a sudden torrent of rain or hail.

Kratos frowned as they reached the mountain path that led up to Hima, shaking droplets of rain from his soaked hair. The weather's developing unpredictable nature was surely a sign of the state of the world. The mana was growing dangerously thin. If they did not succeeded with the regeneration ritual, the world would not survive to see another year and he voiced his concerns to the rest of the group.

They quickened their pace instantly, plodding up the red rock of the Hima mountains.

A sudden commotion fell upon their ears as they approached the hamlet, the sound of swordplay and shouting, followed by deep, low grumbles of some wounded animal.

As they rounded the corner, they found a group assembled in front of the inn, a shape towering above them.

"What's that? It looks like there's something going on in front of the inn."

They ran forward quickly, barging in on the scene to find a trio of travellers surrounding a wounded Clara. Blood oozed from her wounded arms and claws, having taken the sting and bite of their swords. She stumbled as she stood, swinging an arm to defend herself.

"All right, it's weakening! Finish it off!" The leader of the trio called to his partners.

"Stop!" Lloyd dashed forwards, laying a hand onto the man's shoulder and tugging at him.

The other shrugged him off angrily, scowling at the younger man. "Don't interfere! This is our prey!"

Raine strode forward, past the arguing men to stand before the creature as it raised an arm.

"Clara, stop! We want to save you. Please calm down…"

Head falling back, Clara let out an unearthly screech, charging forwards and knocking Raine back. She fell backwards heavily into Colette.

Without a backward glance, Clara left the village, something falling from her ripped pocket as she went.

"Dammit! After that monster!" The leader commanded, glaring at the Chosen's group before dashing away after her.

Lloyd was on his knees beside Colette and Raine in a heartbeat, Kratos hovering close behind them, looking at the two females on the floor. Neither seemed to be harmed, though Raine looked somewhat shaken.

"Colette, Professor, are you all right?"

"Yes..." Raine answered after a moment, climbing shakily to her feet as Lloyd helped Colette up. Kratos put out a hand to steady the older female as Sheena and Genis looked on, and both frowned at the action. Kratos was rarely so chivalrous as to aid a lady that they knew of.

Catching their gazes on him, Kratos turned his head slowly, eyes sliding over to glare at the two who stood watching him. Slowly, he removed his hand from Raine's shoulder blade, all the time glaring at the two and they quickly looked away.

Something caught Genis' eye as he did so, and he hurried over to it, lifting it from where it lay. It was a key that Clara had dropped and he quickly took it over to Raine, offering it to her.

"Clara dropped this."

Raine took it gently from his outstretched palm, turning it over to look at it. Kratos leaned over her shoulder to look at it.

"This is…the key to the Tower of Mana."

Lloyd quickly made his way over to look. "I see. Clara was the one that took the key to the Tower."

Closing her hand around it, she quickly tucked the key away in one of her pockets. "…I hope she's safe…" she murmured. Kratos gave a grunt of agreement before suggesting they spend the rest of the day at the inn and then move off tomorrow. It would do them no good to go travelling when they were still wet.

Agreeing, the group made their way inside for the day, taking the room downstairs with the intent to move off again the next day.

* * *

Hope it was alright.

Please review.


	19. Fire and Ice

A.N: Hello everyone! Thanks again for reviews and everything. Not much to say about this chapter.

Enjoy!

Fire and Ice

Kratos stretched slightly as the party came to a stop before the towering structure they had been travelling towards for three days. Tilting his head up to look at it, he squinted, just able to see the top as the sun peeked out from behind it.

The tower of Mana was a huge, ancient building constructed of beige and red brick, the doors set into its face, wooden with large panes of glass set into it.

"Marvellous!" Raine exclaimed, taking in the structure "So this is the Tower of Mana…built to gaze upon the Tower of Salvation!"

"What's that?" Lloyd asked, tilting his head as he looked to his teacher questioningly. Kratos refrained from letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Honestly, Lloyd! We studied it in class before!" Genis scolded.

"It's a tower that was used as a temple by the Church of Martel to offer prayers to the tower of Salvation. Although, it was closed a long time ago since monsters started appearing inside." Colette explained, watching Raine running excitedly along the walls, tracing the stones with her finger before running to examine another part of the building.

Sheena lifted an eyebrow and turned to look at Kratos, hoping he would have some kind of explanation. Instead, he merely shrugged.

"I simply must go inside…" Raine murmured, walking to the door and pressing her face to the glass to peer inside.

"According to the Book of Regeneration, it's very likely that this is a seal." Colette mused.

"But there's no oracle stone."

Kratos stepped forwards to stand beside Genis, scanning the area. " …Hmm. At any rate, let us proceed further." He cast a look to Raine, who was seconds away from getting a crowbar to lever the door open.

Hearing Kratos' comment, the professor pulled out the key and unlocked the doors, watching them slide apart with a mechanical hiss. Stepping forward, she plunged herself into the dim light of the entrance room, the rest of the group following more slowly.

The first room was lit only by eternally flickering candles, and half-shadows pooled from every object within the room.

The floor was tiled with a mosaic effect, a large blue contraption set into the floor. The walls were lined with bookcases, filled to bursting with tombs of every size and colour. Each was coated with a thick layer of dust, the gold writing on the spines masked by the grey layer.

Tilting their heads up, the group noticed there was also a second floor filled with the same amount of books, a narrow balcony running about the edge of the room.

"Wow, that's a lot of books!" Genis exclaimed, trying to take in the sight of all the books at once.

"Ohh! Just think of all the knowledge contained within those books!" Raine murmured, running over to a book case on the left and running a finger down one of the volumes, leaving a streak of deep red in its wake.

The rest of the group ignored them, Lloyd heading straight ahead to come across a small pedestal set in front of the blue device on the floor.

"Hey! It's an oracle stone!"

Raine was over at Lloyd's side in an instant. "It's just as written in the Book of Regeneration. This is a seal" she turned to the blonde girl standing beside her "Colette, if you would, please?"

Colette nodded, placing her hand gently on the hand print set before her. A flash of blue light burst briefly from the contraption on the floor, informing the group that it had been activated.

"…It didn't open." Lloyd pouted, looking at the door in the far wall.

"No," Kratos informed his son "look at that magic circle."

Raine stepped forwards, peering down at it. "Marvellous! This apparatus has awoken due to the oracle stone."

"So we just need to do something with that apparatus." Genis stated, peering at the circle with mild interest.

"So it would seem." Kratos nodded.

He fell silent again, watching as Raine inspected the device and ordered Lloyd and Genis to stand at certain points upon it.

A door at the far side of the room slid open before Lloyd stepped off his circle and it closed smoothly again.

"It seems that it won't open without three people on these circles." Raine theorised.

Kratos frowned, catching Raine's eye as the implications presented themselves to him. "Which means that three of us must remain here. It's dangerous, but we have little choice."

"Yes, we wouldn't want the door to be closed when we come back out," she lifted a hand to her mouth, tapping a finger against her lips. She wasn't overly keen on the idea of them splitting up either, but she supposed that needs must. "Lloyd, choose three people other than Colette to remain here."

"Me? Well, ok."

Kratos frowned again, glancing about the room and listening for sounds of monsters in the distance. Instead he picked up on Sheena and Genis speaking quietly.

"…Does Raine have a split personality?" The young woman was asking the younger Sage.

"I'm sorry. She's a little strange, but she's a good person at heart." Genis replied and Kratos' frown grew deeper. What was that supposed to mean? And why did Sheena ask in the first place? Raine's personality hadn't changed at all in time Sheena had been with them.

The only time she changed was when she was alone with him, and only they knew about that. Unless...did she suspect? Had she seen them wandering off together?

"Professor, you come with me." Lloyd stated, and it snapped Kratos' attention back to the current situation.

"Yes, you've made the correct choice, Lloyd." Raine praised, smiling at her student.

Kratos stepped forwards grudgingly, standing on one of the circles while Genis and Sheena made their way onto the other two. The door at the other side of the room slid open again.

"It opened. Ok, those staying behind, wait here."

The trio standing on the circles nodded, and Kratos caught Raine's eye again briefly, warning her to take care. She didn't make any noticeable sign of acknowledgement, but Kratos knew she heeded his warning as she left, leaving him alone with Sheena and Genis.

The two were looking at him quizzically.

"Is there a problem?" he asked quietly.

Genis shrugged. "No. Just you looked very interested in Raine."

Kratos lifted an eyebrow as Sheena turned to Genis, looking surprised at his audacity.

"I was merely ensuring she was happy with the decision."

"Sure. If you say so."

"Meaning?"

"Well...most people use words to check if other people are happy."

"Body language is more truthful."

Sheena let out a noise that sounded like 'I'll bet' and the mercenary shot her a dark glare.

"So you have no interest in her?" Genis prodded.

"Raine is a pleasant companion. I enjoy her company and appreciate her aid as a comrade."

"That's all?"

"Yes." Kratos answered, letting a hint of irritation creep into his voice.

"Genis let it go," Sheena advised "If there was something going on and he wanted us to know he'd have said so."

Kratos turned his gaze on her slowly.

"Besides, it's not like we don't know about their midnight wanderings."

"Yeah," Genis turned to Kratos "What's that all about?"

"We were discussing issues regarding the journey. As the people appointed to protecting and guiding Colette, it is wise for us to do so."

"Alone? At midnight? Every night?"

"There are some issues we feel it pertinent to discuss in private. Kindly stop insinuating there is something between your sister and I."

Genis harrumphed a little but shut his mouth. Sheena followed suit, clamming up as Kratos turned a warning glare on her.

The three fell silent for a while, Kratos' mild irritation enough to keep the other two from saying anything to him. Eventually, Sheena cleared her throat quietly. When it didn't elicit a response from Kratos, she attempted conversation again.

"So...uh,"

Kratos eyes slid over to her slowly.

"How...how long do you think they'll be. It's kinda tedious just standing around here."

"I imagine it will depend largely on just how large the tower is, and how many obstacles they face." Kratos answered smoothly, no hint of his previous annoyance present in his voice.

"Don't you feel kinda...anxious? About all of us being split up."

"Somewhat, yes. Though, I believe that they are strong enough to survive without us, until they reach the guardian, at least."

"You believe in Lloyd that much?"

"He's grown a lot stronger from when we first met. I believe he can handle the monsters here."

"I suppose he has you to thank for that." Genis murmured.

Kratos gave a subtle shake of his head. "No. I have no right to claim that. It is Lloyd's desire to fight for what he believes in, and what he wishes to protect that has made him strong. I have merely shown him how to focus that energy."

"Still...for Lloyd, that's pretty impressive."

Kratos didn't answer. Instead he looked to the door that was still closed, a vague emotion passing over his face for a fleeting second.

Genis was about to question him on it when suddenly, a light flickered in the centre of the console. Hitting a button the light formed a shape and he looked up to see a ghostly image of Lloyd.

"Ah, Lloyd! This machine is amazing! Lloyd, can you see me?"

Kratos turned back to Genis suddenly, pointing to the other door which had just slid open to Lloyd's appearance.

"Lloyd, the door on this side opened. Is it all right if we go in?"

Raine suddenly appeared behind Lloyd. "The door opened? I see. Go on in. Let's meet up somewhere before we release the seal."

Nodding, Genis hit a button, ending the transmission. Slowly the trio stepped off the pressure pads and began making their way to the next room.

--

Raine swung her staff in a wide horizontal arc against the legs of the pegasus in front of her, sending it rearing up.

The purple horse was proving to be quite the opponent, and every member of the group had run into difficulties with it so far, with the exception of Kratos. Raine had noticed however, that unlike the rest of the group, who were doing whatever they could to hit it, the mercenary was staying well clear of its hind legs.

Lloyd had apparently not learnt this tactic yet and lifted his swords suddenly as two hooves plunged towards him. They struck the metal with a resounding clang, threatening to snap the seemingly fragile blades and sending the wielder stumbling backwards.

In response Sheena suddenly dove forwards, slapping a card onto the horse's flank, just as Kratos, Genis and Colette performed their own attacks on it. It's legs gave out suddenly and the beast fell to the ground, its mace-like tail thrashing weakly against the stone.

Lloyd seized his opportunity, rushing forwards and leaping, landing heavily on the back of the quadruped as it began to climb back to its feet.

It bucked the instant it realised it had a rider, snorting and grunting, its wings flapping desperately in an attempt to dislodge the boy. Lloyd hung on with all his strength, hands grasping at its straggly mane as his thighs clenched against its side.

It was similar to watching a rodeo, Raine thought, as the horse twisted and snorted, kicking out its back legs at an alarming angle, the movements so rapid she could barely see them.

"Lloyd!" Kratos called suddenly, standing beside Genis as the boy began to cast another spell. "Let go! Get off it before it throws you!"

Whether the boy was ignoring him, didn't hear him or just simply couldn't obey, Kratos didn't know, but the boy remained clinging to the animal's mane as it ran in wild circles, bucking and rearing all the time.

The warrior growled. If he didn't let go, the horse would eventually shake him loose of its own accord, and as soon as he was dislodged, it would trample him to death.

Gritting his teeth he watched the horse carefully before calling to Sheena and Colette. If he could get them to slow it down, he could get Lloyd off.

A chakram sheared the air, slicing across one of the horse's legs and he reared, wings and tail lashing.

"Lloyd, duck!" Sheena called, seeing the mace swinging for Lloyd's head.

He heard, turning his head to see what she was referring to and he had just enough time to register what it was before it slammed into the side of his head.

He fell forwards instantly, his hands instinctively grasping at the mane in front of him, thighs still clenching at the beast's sides. Kratos shook his head. The boy hadn't fallen unconscious but was badly stunned. In such a state, he had no chance of getting off the guardian of his own will.

Calling to Colette and Sheena again, he sheathed his sword, seeing the look of disbelief flash over Raine's face from the corner of his eye.

Colette rushed towards the horse, Sheena in tow and they charged the animal head on, throwing chakrams and cards at the horse's chest before diving at the way. The cards exploded suddenly and the horse stopped and reared again, not noticing Kratos dash forwards.

Grasping at the loose strands of its mane, Kratos hurled himself onto the back of the animal, wrapping his arms about his son as his legs clenched around the horse. Wind buffeted him as the wings behind him beat rapidly and he clung on grimly, taking his left arm from about Lloyd's waist to grasp at his sword handle, pulling the blade free awkwardly.

"Lloyd! When I strike the guardian, let go. Understand?"

The boy gave a vague nodding motion and Kratos raised his left arm, leaning forwards and making sure his arm was firmly wrapped around Lloyd. A barrage of stone suddenly shot from the ground, slamming into the horse's face.

It stumbled and Kratos plunged his blade downwards, the metal striking deep into the muscle of the creature's shoulder. It grunted and snorted, rearing and Kratos threw himself to the right, pulling himself and Lloyd off the horse as it staggered. The males landed heavily on the ground, Kratos curled about Lloyd protectively, his body protecting Lloyd's from the impact of the fall.

Kratos unfolded himself from about Lloyd, checking the boy was alright before pulling himself to his feet. His shoulder and back stung from where he had hit and scraped along the floor but he paid it no mind, instead looking for his sword. It lay on the floor a couple of feet away, stained with dark red blood and he dashed towards it, snatching it from the ground.

Spinning, he planted his feet firmly against the floor, only to see the horse staggering towards the fallen Lloyd, the purple orb it held in its mouth glinting.

He was running instantly, hoping he could outrun the injured animal.

"Bring it down!" he ordered over his shoulder, looking at Colette and Sheena, circling the creature wearily.

A card flew from Sheena's finger, slapping into its flank with a puff of smoke. Colette was rushing forwards, chakrams in hand, sending one spinning towards the beast, and yet it didn't stop.

Pushing himself as hard as he could, he flew towards the cantering monster, skidding to a halt in front of the fallen Lloyd before swivelling and throwing himself forwards, sword outstretched.

It slid into the animal's chest easily, burying itself in it's flesh and the horse reared for a final time. With a final snort and screech of pain it faltered, falling forwards and crashing to the floor at Kratos' feet.

Taking a deep breath, he looked down at the pegasus, eyes trailing along the smooth purple coat before he leaned down to pull the sword from its chest, aware of footsteps echoing in his ears.

"Kratos! Lloyd!"

Raine was dashing towards them, the rest of the group in tow and she quickly fell to her knees beside Lloyd.

"Are you two ok?"

"I'm fine. See to Lloyd." Kratos answered briskly as he cleaned blood off his sword.

Raine nodded, holding her staff over Lloyd, using the mana in the air to heal him. Slowly, he returned to a groggy state of consciousness.

"Lloyd, you're ok!" Colette exclaimed, falling to her knees beside him and clasping a hand.

"You're in an idiot Lloyd! That horse could have killed you!" Genis scolded, but Kratos could hear the undercurrent of awe in his voice.

Shaking his head, Kratos sheathed his sword and reached down to help Lloyd to his feet. The teenage stumbled but leant against the older man quietly, still dazed from the fight.

Colette looked to the carcass of the horse sadly. "It's a pity we had to hurt such a pretty animal."

Raine shook her head but said nothing before fetching Lloyd's fallen swords as the Chosen ascended the altar. With blades in hand she returned to stand beside Lloyd and Kratos, placing a supportive hand at Lloyd's back, aiding Kratos in holding him up.

The mercenary said nothing in response, but looked up sharply.

Bathed in a soft golden light, a woman sat on a crescent moon, long blonder hair flowing about her. She looked at the group softly, an expression of mild confusion on her face.

"…Where is Aska?" She asked softly, looking from face to face. She lingered on Kratos for a second longer than anyone else before looking back to Colette.

Lloyd jerked his head up. "It talked..." he mumbled, clearly not understanding the situation. Though it was doubtful he would have had much more of an idea if he was fully conscious.

"…Without Aska, I cannot do anything—I cannot form a pact or a vow… Please…find Aska…in order to restore my power." The woman explained before disappearing in a flash of golden light.

Colette looked back at the group, puzzled, but at Raine's silent gesture, turned to face forward as Remiel descended. There was something of a pleased aura about him.

Granting Colette her additional angelic powers, he smiled down at her.

"You have taken another step closer to becoming an angel, yet you seem anxious." the smile dropped from his face.

"Ah, no. I'm very happy."

"Hmm?… Now, Chosen One. Your journey is finally drawing to a close. It is time for you to rejoice. The path to the Tower of Salvation is open!" he lifted his arms briefly "Head to the Tower of Salvation and offer your prayers of regeneration! Then, you will be able to climb the stairway of heaven."

"…The Tower of Salvation?!" Lloyd asked, looking a little more awake.

"The world regeneration is finally going to take place." Genis whispered, looking up at the two angels.

"Is regeneration…really going to happen?…" Sheena questioned, uncertainty playing over her face.

Remiel disappeared again in a flash of light, leaving an echoing parting message to his daughter.

"I shall await you at the final seal. Colette…my daughter. There, you will become an angel, like me."

Colette floated gently to the floor, her wings fluttering out of sight.

"The end is finally in sight," Kratos murmured, a soft heaviness in his voice "Let's head to the Tower of Salvation."

Raine cast an eye over Kratos before turning to the girl "Colette...are you sure?"

"…Yes. I'm fine."

Dubiously, Raine nodded, before guiding Colette gently back inside. Kratos and Lloyd took up the rear, the younger man still dependant on the older for support. All of them were keeping an eye on Colette as she walked, watching for any signs of angel toxicosis. They all knew she was about to lose another of her human qualities...they just didn't know what.

They were so focused on keeping an eye on Colette that they almost forgot about the healing technique until Lloyd mumbled "Pietro."

Raine halted. "Ah of course, the healing technique."

"Yeah, but where do we even start to look? This place is huge." Sheena stated, looking around the room.

"I'll take that bookcase, you take that one, Genis the other," Raine pointed down the line of bookcases "Let's find it as quickly as possible."

They set out to each allocated bookcase quickly, browsing through the rows. It was only after a short while that Raine pulled a book from its shelf with a triumphant noise.

"I've found it."

Genis hurried over. "Now we can save Pietro."

Raine shook her head as she ran her eyes down the page "…No. It will be difficult for me to use this book with my healing arts. If we at least had some sort of tool to amplify the body's life force…"

"What sort of thing do you need?" Genis asked, standing on his tip-toes to look at the book.

"Perhaps, if we had a Unicorn Horn…"

"Lake Umacy, then. Let's go back there and see if there's something we can do."

"…Yes, let's try."

The siblings turned to look at the rest of the group, waiting patiently. Lloyd had pushed himself from Kratos' hold and was flicking his gaze between everyone.

Wordlessly, they made for the door, Colette still leading. It was beginning to grow dark as they left the tower, but it only took a couple of steps for Colette to fall to her knees.

Lloyd sprinted over to kneel beside her, placing a comforting arm on her shoulder as she lifted a hand to her throat. "Professor Sage! It's Colette's Angel Toxicosis…"

"I see. Let's rest here for today."

Colette turned lifting her head to answer...but all that came out was a wheeze.

"What's wrong, Colette?" Lloyd asked, brows furrowing.

Colette didn't answer, instead grasping at her throat more tightly. Kratos stepped forwards to look at her.

" …I would assume she's lost her voice." He answered calmly.

They turned to face him, looks of incredulity on their faces.

"What?!" Genis exclaimed angrily, fist clenching.

Kratos turned his gaze away from the boys. It was not his fault the Chosen was suffering...he didn't make the rules.

Colette let out a little gasp, though it was anyone's guess as to what it meant and after a moment Raine gently roused the group, guiding them away from the tower to a secluded area where they could rest.

--

It was long past midnight when Kratos crept away from the group to have a moment to think back over the day's events...and to give he and a certain Ms. Sage to speak in private.

She joined him after about ten minutes, sliding away from her sleeping brother to stand beside the man, looking up at the nearly full moon.

The noise over Sheena's story about this Tethe'alla place had long since died down, but it still left Raine doubtful.

"What do you think of her story?" Kratos asked quietly, knowing instinctively what the woman was thinking about.

"I can't say for sure. It's a difficult story to believe, thinking logically and I can't be sure until something is proved to me but..."

"But?"

"For the moment, I'll believe her. If she really does have these summoning abilities, it may well be proof of her story."

"Indeed."

"So what do you make of it?"

Kratos lifted his head to look up at the moon again. "It's a somewhat outlandish tale but...there are certain elements of it that point to the truth."

"Such as?"

"Haven't you ever wondered about her clothes? There's nowhere in Sylvarant that creates clothing in that fashion...and there's no-one who fights with the same weapons, or can summon. None of her culture exists here..or has ever existed, as far back as the history books reach."

"I see what you mean, I wondered about it myself. But...I wonder if there's not some hidden population or settlement somewhere."

"Possibly. Though, Sylvarant is somewhat small and it would be difficult to survive without any contact to other settlements."

"True. I suppose we won't know until its proved though."

"Yes."

They fell back into silence for a moment, before Kratos looked to Raine.

"If you have other concerns, you know you're welcome to voice them to me, if you so wish."

"It's Colette..."

"I had assumed that much."

"These changes are so harsh on her and everyone here. Yet...I continue to be fascinated by the developments. What does that say about myself as a person?"

"That you have an interest in the unknown, just as everyone does. The only difference is, you don't face it with fear, but interest."

"But we're talking about my student."

"Raine. You have always managed to distance yourself from these sort of things before...perhaps it is a defensive mechanism. Your interest in learning overcomes your fear, your weakness, so that you don't have to face it. It is not such a terrible thing...and I know you are not an unpleasant person.

"You care for her, but there is nothing you can do for her."

"Do you think so?"

"I would not have said it otherwise."

Raine said nothing in response, but looked up to the moon alongside Kratos. She suddenly shuddered, as though a chill had run through her body.

"Are you cold?"

She nodded slightly and the mercenary stepped towards her, pulling her gently against him. She stiffened in surprise for a moment before relaxing against the warm body behind her as he encircled her waist with his arms. Raine leant her head back against his shoulder, allowing him to keep her warm, taking comfort in his unyielding presence.

They stood together for some time, looking up at the moon and stars until Raine twisted in Kratos' arms, turning to press the front of her body against his. His arms wrapped around her back instantly and she looked up to him as her arms looped up over his shoulders. Pain flashed across his face for a split second.

"Kratos?"

"Hmm?"

"We're you injured in the fight earlier?"

"I landed on my shoulder when I fell from the guardian. It is probably a little bruised. Don't concern yourself with it."

"Don't tell me you think that's going to work." Raine smirked, pushing gently at his chest.

"Then don't tell me this isn't just an excuse to get my shirt off." Kratos smirked back smugly and Raine allowed herself to laugh quietly at him.

"No. It is, but I still want to look at it."

"Is there any way I can avoid this?"

"No."

Shaking his head, he reached up and unclasped his cape, allowing it to fall to the floor with a soft 'flump' before pulling off his shirt and gloves, exposing his body to the white moonlight.

Raine lifted a hand and laid it softly on his shoulder, letting her gaze flicker up and down his body before circling around to his back, hand still resting on his shoulder.

The skin surrounding his right shoulder blade was coloured a deep purple, the innermost area of the bruise all but black and it was speckled with scrapes and small, pitted gashes where he had struck and skidded along the ground. It was a minor injury compared to some which Kratos had been through, she was sure, but nevertheless she lifted her hand to it and called a light healing spell. It closed the small scratches and lightened the bruise to a yellow tinge in a matter of seconds.

Kratos gave a grunt of thanks as she circled around to his front again, a soft smile playing over his lips as he noticed her glancing down at his body. He wouldn't have considered himself a particularly attractive person, though he had been informed many times by others that he was especially so. Raine seemed to agree with them...though, he had no idea why anyone would find a scarred, pale torso like his attractive.

Her hand slid down from his shoulder, skating onto the firm flesh of his pectorals.

Blue eyes lifted to red, an odd mixture of expressions in them...like she was asking permission to touch him, yet at the same time, daring him to tell her to move away. It was like fire and ice encapsulated into one look and as her hand slid down, testing him, it seemed like the perfect metaphor for her.

She was a winter beauty, pale and perfect but with a core of pure fire. Her fingers, cool to the touch, left a trail of heat in their wake. It was as though she were two people in one.

Raine Sage, the scholar. Winter incarnate, cold and austere, stern and unbreakable.

Raine Sage, the woman. The very flames of mercury, playful and daring, sultry and eternal.

Yet as powerful as both states may be, they both had one thing in common. You could shatter them so easily. They were not as strong as they seemed.

The thought struck Kratos as he held Raine's unwavering gaze, feeling her other hand laying itself gently on his body. They explored tentatively, fingers tracing the shallow valley of his sternum, passing down to the rippled surface of his abdomen.

One hand travelled down, feeling the rise and fall of those muscles, the other sliding around to his side, feeling the curve of his ribs.

Tilting his head down, he lifted his arms about her and pulled her close against him, letting her continue the exploration of his body as his lips pressed gently against hers. She responded to him eagerly, allowing herself to engage in something basic. Something hot and sweet. Something utterly sexual that she had not had for so long.

She pulled her hands from his torso, slipping them around to his back so that her body could press against his. He was hot against her, and she chanced at licking at his lips, seeing if he would allow her entrance to his mouth.

He did, his lips parting beneath hers and she quickly took the opportunity to delve into his wet warmth. She explored everything within him, tasting him as her tongue stroked against his, stoking it into action. A low groan rippled deep within her throat as he responded, his grip on her becoming tighter.

His hands were pressed firmly against the flesh of her back, stroking small circles over her skin through layers of clothing. He pulled his mouth away from hers a moment later to nip at her lower lip gently before pulling away fully.

"We should get back to the camp. With Colette in her current condition...we need to keep an eye on her."

Despite the words however, he continued to hold Raine against him. She sighed, knowing that he was right...though, she had to thank him that he had been the one to stop them. She wasn't yet sure just how quickly or how far she was willing to take their relationship.

"I suppose you're right. However, in order for us to return you need to a, get dressed and b, let me go."

With only the faintest expression of displeasure on his face, Kratos released his hold on her a stepped back, picking up his cape and shirt from the floor, donning the shirt before walking back into the clearing alongside Raine.

--

The next day, the group set out for Lake Umacy. Their pace was slow, to the point of being laborious, the moods of everyone at an all time low over Colette's condition. Raine and Kratos remained neutral on the subject as always, strong and reserved as ever for their charges.

A day and a half wore by with few incidents. On occasion, the group would be confronted by some party or other that had decided to attack them. They had won with ease each and every time, despite the lacklustre air amongst them. Colette had made gestures of victory to Lloyd, Genis and Sheena each time and every time she received only pained, forced smiles from each of them. Raine found herself surprised at Sheena's attitude towards Colette, considering that just a week or so ago, she had been trying to assassinate the girl. Then she remembered Kratos' assessment of the girl and she had to admit, once again, that he was right. She really was softer than she tried to make out.

It was approaching midday when they finally made it to the lake, and though the sun was high, clouds were drifting over it hurriedly. It looked as though rain was coming in.

They approached the lake quietly, gathering around the edge to the lake to look into its clear depths. The unicorn was still there, buried under the rotting timbers.

"Wow!" Sheena breathed, staring at the silver coated creature with wide eyes. "So there are still unicorns left on this side!"

"…I wonder if we can make contact with it." Raine mused, tapping at her lower lip.

"The Unicorn Horn?" Kratos questioned, turning his head to look at her, guessing her thoughts easily. She nodded in response.

"Yes. In order to use Master Boltzman's healing technique, we need the Unicorn Horn."

"But how can we get over there?" Genis questioned, turning to look back at the two adults, standing together at the back of the group as always.

Kratos caught the way the boy glanced between him and his sister. Fortunately, his attention was pulled away a moment later by Lloyd's rather ridiculous idea of swimming to the creature.

The mercenary let his thoughts drift away for a moment until he heard one particular name.

"..Undine."

His attention snapped to Sheena and Raine glanced up at him questioningly. He ignored her, eyes narrowing as he heard Sheena mention that she could summon spirits. He didn't like the way this was going. As much as he would like to remain with Raine for a longer time, they needed to complete the world regeneration ritual. If he had known this would happen, he never would have let them come this way.

"The Thoda Geyser, right?" Genis questioned "Let's go!"

The younger members of the group walked away from the lake suddenly, without even considering their comrades, so determined to save these few people and Kratos felt irritation bubble inside him for a moment.

"This is quite a detour." He murmured to Raine. She had remained relatively quiet throughout the planning and though she had been sending him concerned and indeed, suspicious glances, she didn't seem all that concerned by the delay in regenerating the world. Perhaps she was looking at the more positive side of this turn of events, for she smiled subtly as she said "...Yes."

She walked away, swinging her hips as she went, throwing a glance over her shoulder as she followed the rest of their group.

Kratos smiled softly to himself, shaking his head as he followed Raine. Perhaps these extra days wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

* * *

Hope it was good and that you enjoyed it. Next chapter will be posted as normal, now please excuse me as I go and bury myself into a pile of tissues and vitamin C...second time round of Fresher's flu isn't fun. Don't think the Hawaiian foam party last week helped either :S


	20. Realities of Life

A.N: Apologies for being a tad late with this update....but I was watching Quantum of Solace at the cinema. And then I went to the pub. So there you go, my oh so exciting evening.

Thanks for review as always. Also, important note here:

**Warning: This chapter contains scenes of a strong sexual nature. Scene beginning will be marked for those who wish to skip it.**

Now, what you're actually here for:

Enjoy!

* * *

Realities of Life

Morning broke over Sylvarant as the party of the chosen travelled east, heading for the coast. At the moment, the sun was rising from the horizon, shining brightly as they headed towards it. They were well rested today, despite sleeping on the ground, and spirits were somewhat higher than they had been since Colette had lost her voice.

Lloyd grinned at the topic of conversation between himself, Sheena and Genis. "A Summon Spirit...Hmmm...I wonder how the pact works? I can't wait to see it!"

They had been travelling for a day and a half and had spent the night under the shadow of the mountains that lined the coast. They intended to reach the dock by at least midday.

"There he goes again." Genis rolled his eyes at his friend, throwing a backward glance to Kratos who was walking slightly behind them. Raine was far to the back with Colette.

"Won't you get bored half-way through?" Kratos asked, looking down at his son.

"Shut up! I'm interested, so I'm excited, okay?"

" It's fine that you're interested, but..." Genis trailed off, not willing to complete the sentence. Kratos, on the other hand, was less forgiving.

"The problem is the way you get bored with everything." He stated, an eyebrow lifted in Lloyd's direction.

"Shut up!" Lloyd snapped "Stop ganging up on me!"

"Stop telling us to shut up!"

"We're talking about your attitude!"

"Shut up, all of you!" Raine barked suddenly from the back of the group. They stopped walking immediately, turning to stare at Raine wide-eyed. Kratos and Genis quickly averted their gazes, remaining silent under her command.

When she didn't say anything further, the males turned and started to move off slowly again, leading the group silently now. Sheena sniggered quietly at the males' obedience of Raine, the way that Genis and Lloyd kept glancing back at her, only to be met with glares.

Kratos kept his gaze dead ahead as he walked, refusing to face the woman's ire. What she was so angry about, Sheena wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that it was to do with Colette's rather upset expression.

They walked in silence again for sometime, until Kratos turned to look backwards at them, having taken up the lead of the group, informing them that they would be there shortly. It was only then that he sent Raine a questioning glance. She looked away slowly and Kratos frowned as he turned back to face the direction of the dock.

It was a little before midday when they reached the docks, and they stopped outside the registration building to eat before heading in and hiring the 'boats'.

Raine groaned quietly as she walked up the small pier, looking down into the small boats and glancing into the others. They were splitting off into pairs to climb into the boats, Lloyd with Colette and Genis shoving Sheena into a washtub as she stared at it incredulously.

Kratos looked down into his own tub and stepped down into it cautiously, not liking the way it rocked beneath him. With both feet in, he settled down onto the floor quickly, looking up to Raine still standing on the dock and she sighed, looking somewhat panicked as she stepped forwards, letting Kratos help her down into the tub before he grabbed a paddle.

They set off, Kratos paddling slowly to push them deeper into the water, glancing to Raine who sat beside him every so often, checking on her mood. She was fidgeting, staring at the wooden planks of the tub and refusing to lift her gaze to the blue around them. An almost imperceptible tremble ran through her shoulders, her fingers drumming quietly on the wooden bottom. Kratos bit his lip as he glanced at her, before altering their course slightly, trying to avoid the rougher current of the stretch of sea they were crossing.

Upon reaching the docks at the other side, Raine let out a grateful sigh, climbing onto solid land from the bobbing tub. Kratos followed her slowly shaking his head slightly as he stepped up onto the dock with a single stride. The rest of the group were already assembled on the pier, waiting patiently for their eldest members to join them. Once Genis had finished enquiring as to Raine's well-being after the trip, for which he received a sharp glare, they moved onto the seal. The mana bridge appeared once again as Colette approached it, Noishe standing guard at the base as the group ascended.

Sheena glanced around as they entered the seal. "Seems like I didn't miss much when you guys last came in here."

Raine gave a mutter of agreement as Lloyd led them down to the seal room where they had fought Adolucia last time.

It was as dark and as humid as the last time they had visited, and though the sense of evil had faded, the sense of tension had only increased. They were about to try and perform a ritual that had not been performed for an age.

Sheena stepped up onto the steps slowly, glancing quietly behind her at her audience. She wasn't sure whether she could truly do this...she had never managed it before.

Light flashed in front of her, blue mingled with white and she spun to face the source to find a woman standing before her. Well..sort of a woman. If women were often blue skinned with long purple hair, had gill like ears, webbed fingers and wore a dress made out of a single, huge fin that blended seamlessly into her torso. Sheena swallowed thickly.

"Undine..." Sheena whispered and her gaze snapped to the summoner.

"You who possess the right of the pact. I am one who is bound to Mithos. What is your name?"

" Mithos?" Lloyd questioned, looking around to Raine and Kratos who stood behind him before turning back to face the summon spirit "The hero of the Kharlan War?"

"Not only was Mithos a swordsman, he had the ability to summon as well?" Genis questioned.

Raine shrugged. It was impossible for the summon spirit to be bound to Mithos the Hero. He would have to be over four thousand years old. Even an elf wouldn't live that long and Mithos was only human.

"Mithos is a common boy's name. It's not necessarily Mithos the Hero." Raine stated quietly, catching the small nod that Kratos gave.

Sheena ignored the discussion completely, pressing on with the process.

"I am Sheena! I seek a pact with Undine!"

"As things stand now…I cannot." The summon spirit's voice was fluid and clear, like that of the water around them, but her tones were hushed and quiet.

"Wh…why?!"

"I am already bound by a pact. I cannot form two pacts at the same time."

"You mean your pact with that Mithos guy?…"

She turned back to face the rest of the group, looking panicked.

"What am I supposed to do now?! They never said anything about this at the research institute!"

"Can't you just get her to cancel the old pact?" Lloyd questioned, shrugging.

"How?! We don't even have any idea where this Mithos person is!"

Kratos lifted his head, having listened quietly to the predicament that had formed. "A Summon Spirit pact requires a vow. As long as the pact-maker upholds that vow, the pact remains valid."

"…That is correct." Undine answered, looking straight at Kratos. Her eyes lingered on him for a second longer than necessary, narrowing slightly before she turned back to the young woman before her, seemingly ignoring the man. Raine eyed Kratos suspiciously. It seemed she had found him familiar.

"I know about that. The Summon Spirit approves the pact-maker's vow and agrees to the pact." Sheena answered, looking at Kratos and rolling her eyes slightly.

Kratos shot her a warning glare before continuing explaining his point. "Exactly," he stated, as though the solution was obvious "Therefore, all you need to do is follow Lloyd's advice and request the annulment of the previous pact and form a new one. It's possible the previous pact-maker has broken his vow. Or he may have…already passed away."

"Is it really that simple?" Genis asked.

"I suppose you could call it simple, but if the previous pact-maker is still alive and hasn't broken his vow, then there's nothing we can do about it."

"Ok, I'll give it a shot." Sheena stated, turning back to look at Undine, straightening her back and lifting her head.

"Undine! I am Sheena! I ask that thou annulst thy pact with Mithos, and establish a new pact…with me."

Kratos let his hand fall to his hilt, staring up at Undine, expecting a test to come first.

"Wha?…We have to fight?!" Lloyd questioned, alarmed.

"Let it begin!" She answered, pulling out a blue blade.

She lunged at the group, aiming for Sheena above all else. Lloyd was in front of her instantly, his swords raised to block her attack.

As soon as her blade had locked in between Lloyd's, the summoner leapt out from behind him, slapping a card against the moist skin. Kratos charged at the same time, bringing his blade down towards a limb. Undine's hand snapped up, knocking her palm against the flat of the blade.

He spun, following the path that his blade was travelling before bringing his arms down, still spinning towards her, the blade carving up into the scaled flesh of her abdomen. The scales did little to deflect the blow and a strange, clear fluid shot from the wound.

Kratos jumped backwards, backing off as Lloyd and Sheena turned and sprinted away.

Undine straightened, seemingly ignoring the wound as she looked over her opponents. "Is that the extent?" she questioned, flowing backwards and beginning to call a spell to her.

Blue runes encircled the trail of her fin dress.

"Cut her attack off!" Kratos commanded, placing both hands on the handle and bringing it back over his right shoulder.

Genis' kendama was twirling furiously in his hand, the soft green runes of a wind attack encircling him. Raine was casting defensive spell after spell, Colette summoning her angelic powers as she stared at the summon spirit determinedly.

Lloyd pulled his swords back into position as he stared Undine down, Sheena beside him.

"Be quick, before she can release her spell!" Kratos called, and then he was charging for the spirit, sword still lifted over his shoulder. He darted towards Undine, a scowl on his face as he realised how close she was to releasing her spell.

She locked her eyes onto him. "Spread!"

Water shot from beneath his feet like that of the geyser outside. It propelled him into the air before closing around him, trapping him within it. Water rushed down his throat into his lungs, halting his breathing. Landing heavily on the floor he coughed furiously, bringing floods of water from his lungs.

"Kratos!"

Sheena had skidded to a halt beside him, Lloyd a second behind her.

"Kratos, are you ok?!"

"I'm fine," he coughed "Don't get distracted, deal with Undine."

"But..."

"Go!"

The youngsters dashed away, weapons raised as a flurry of pink and white feathers shot passed them, burying themselves in the water maiden's body. She grunted, the force of the attack pushing her backwards into one of the decorative pillars that surrounded the seal room. She dropped to the ground.

"Lloyd, Sheena, get your attacks in while she's stunned!" Raine called, lifting her staff into the air.

Light surrounded the fallen spirit, trapping her and burning moist skin. Steam rose from the form as Genis cast his own spell. "Eruption!"

Rock and flame burst from the floor, pummelling her body, combining with his sister's spell to bring the creature down to her knees fully.

Kratos leapt to his feet, pulling his sodden cape from his shoulders lest it slow him down. He charged the creature, feinting to the side when she climbed to her feet and threw a spout of water at him. He flung his sword out to the side, holding it in both hands and letting the blade carve into her again.

It had an effect this time, combining with the damage already caused by all the other attacks.

She wavered, turning to Lloyd as he charged at her from the other side, her palm slamming into his chest, knocking him back. At the same time Sheena charged her from the front, swiping a series of cards at her. Energy burst from the cards, slamming her back into Kratos' blade that was extended towards her.

A high wail escaped her throat as it pierced her back and Lloyd took the opportunity to strike her, both blades slashing across her torso.

She fell to the floor once more, sliding free from Krato's blade.

The group stopped and stared at the Summon spirit. It was a moment before she climbed to her feet again.

"I admit defeat." She announced.

Warily, the group circled back around to the front of the seal to face her.

"Splendid," she praised "Now, swear your vow. Upon what vow do you form our pact?"

"Right now," Sheena panted, stepping forwards, watching, stunned as her wounds miraculously healed. Sheena shook her head. "At this very moment, there are people who are suffering. I vow to save those people."

"Understood. I pledge my power to you, Sheena!"

She held out her hand, a droplet of water forming in her hand and solidifying into a pure clear blue stone. She handed it to Sheena before fading back into her seal.

Lloyd, Genis and Colette rushed to Sheen, offering congratulations. Kratos and Raine remained at the back nodding in praise when she glanced up towards them.

"Ok. Now we can finally meet the unicorn. …And maybe we can get Colette healed, too." Lloyd exclaimed, punching the air in excitement and grinning at Colette.

"Yeah!" Genis shouted.

Raine watched the scene quietly, smiling slightly before turning to look at Kratos. Her eyes were narrowed a little.

"Kratos, you have an impressive array of knowledge."

There was perhaps a hint of impression in that tone, but the overall effect of suspicion cancelled it out. Kratos shrugged gracefully, playing his own card equally as coolly. Who was she to doubt him?

"I had an acquaintance who knew a bit about Summon Spirits, that's all."

"…I see." She answered quietly, before turning back to the celebration in front of them, smiling at the excited youngsters.

With the pact made the group left the temple quickly, the spirit's of the younger members high. Kratos and Raine, however, held a somewhat uneasy silence between them.

Her suspicion of him had put them both on edge, and Kratos didn't take kindly to being doubted and accused. It was true that Raine had been somewhat on edge all day, for reasons Kratos wasn't quite sure of, but that didn't mean she had the right to take it out on him.

They made their way back to the mainland, instantly heading back north to Lake Umacy.

--

It was a day and a half later when they reached Lake Umacy and the sun was beginning to descend towards the horizon. The sky was starting to turn a soft amber colour, flecks of it reflecting on the still water as they approached.

The mood amongst the group was a mixture of contentment, excitement and intrigue, respectively.

Kratos and Raine had resolved Raine's mood issue during the night after everyone else had retired to bed again. Raine had been reluctant to admit it, but eventually after much persuasion, Kratos had managed to get it out of her that it was just a combination of worries mounting up to a level which had stressed her out. Initially he had found it doubtful that it was truth, but when he considered the amount of pressure she was under, he had decided to trust her. She had put faith in him more than once before, so he should return the favour again now.

They halted by the lake quietly, watching Lloyd and Sheena in particular.

"Ok, go on, Sheena!" Lloyd encouraged "Ask Undine to take us over there."

Kratos lifted his head. "…Wait," he ordered, causing the two to look back at him "That's not going to work."

Raine looked at him, wondering if he was thinking the same as her.

"Why not?" Genis questioned.

"The unicorn," Raine paused, wondering how she was going to phrase this in front of Lloyd, Colette and Genis. They would have little to no concept about the working's of unicorn law or the nature of relationships. "…can only be approached by a pure maiden." she finished. Kratos nodded.

"At the very least, Lloyd, Genis, and I are out."

"Hmmm. So only females can go?" Lloyd mused.

Kratos nodded once.

"So then, just Raine and…" Genis suggested. Raine quickly cut him off.

"I'll...pass," she glanced at Kratos who had lifted an eyebrow slyly "But I don't know what we're going to do. We can't send Colette alone while she's like this…"

"Hey! Are you saying that I'm not qualified?!" Sheena snapped at Raine.

Kratos rolled his eyes at the little melodrama that was taking place. Honestly, the issue was leading to way more personal information than he wanted to know.

"…Then we shall send Colette and Sheena." he stated, cutting everyone else off before things could get too personal.

"Why can't the Professor go?" Lloyd asked, looking at his mentor.

"Because I'm an adult."

Kratos turned his head towards Raine, lifting an eyebrow again, a slight smirk playing across his lips as he looked at her. She flushed a little before turning away to watch the events.

Undine was already hovering before them, small rivulets of water running about her.

At Sheena's request, the maiden of the mist bore the two youngest girls across the surface of the water. Raine watched from the shore, fascinated as the interactions took place, wishing she could hear what was being said.

Eventually, the horse disappeared and Colette and Sheena were borne back to the shore. Both girls' faces were streaked with tears, a silvery horn clutched in Sheena's hand.

"The unicorn…gave us his horn." Sheena sobbed quietly, offering it to Raine.

"…I see. Then the unicorn is dead." Kratos stated, looking at the item.

"You knew?!" Sheena's head flew up and she glared at the mercenary, eyes red.

"When a unicorn loses its horn, it dies. By dying, a new unicorn is born. That's why the unicorn is the symbol of death and rebirth." Raine explained, gently taking the horn from the girl.

Kratos and Raine stood quietly as the group discussed the next course of action. It was decided that they would go to Hima and cure Pietro first of all, and then continue the regeneration journey. Kratos felt his stomach lurch, aware of just how close they were to the end now. He looked over to Raine, seeing the same expression in her eyes.

When all had been decided, they set up camp beside the lake, letting Raine make dinner for a change. They had all come far and learnt much, perhaps Raine had learnt to cook.

Kratos, who had not yet experienced Raine's cooking, looked on with interest at the increasing uneasiness of Genis. Lloyd, Sheena and Colette had excused themselves under the pretence of collecting more firewood, following Genis' whispered advice. Advice that Kratos, unfortunately for him, had not been privy to.

"Now, everyone. Eat up." She commanded gently, looking down at the bowls she was passing to the two males with a strangely maternal look. She felt she had finally created something decent.

"Y...yeah. Ok..." Genis murmured, prodding at the red, gelatinous contents of the bowl with his spoon. He couldn't remember what Raine said it was supposed to be, but he was pretty sure no food was supposed to look like this.

Kratos, unaware of the dangers, and not wanting to be rude, lifted a spoonful from the bowl.

"I'll try some."

Trying not to show his hesitancy at putting the 'food' into his mouth, he lifted the stodgy substance to his mouth and quickly took it into his mouth, before the sight of it could put him off.

It was...bizarre. And utterly vile. In all his life Kratos could safely say he had _never _come across this before and he would never want to again.

"Well," he began after swallowing thickly, trying to hide the grimace as he felt the food slide down his throat. It was like eating a too large oyster that had somehow become sticky. "It's...flavourful and...has a remarkable texture. I've never eaten anything like this before."

And that, at least, was the truth.

Raine's expression fell instantly, able to read the true meaning of his words all too easily. "Oh...so I messed up again."

Kratos would have said something to comfort her...if it were not for the sudden wave of nausea that had overcome him and the pain flooding through his stomach.

He fell forwards onto his hands and knees, swallowing against his gag reflex and holding up a hand when Raine moved towards him.

He swallowed thickly again, closing his eyes and concentrating, letting out a low groan before casting. "First aid!"

Genis suddenly fell backwards, roaring with laughter at the notion of Kratos having to use first aid after eating Raine's cooking. The mercenary sent him a disapproving look, his face still a little green. Raine quickly walked over to Genis and slapped him, cutting off his fits of laughter.

The boy huffed, sitting upright, rubbing his cheek, shoulders occasionally shaking with silent laughter. That continued for much of the night, even when Lloyd and the others had rejoined them and Genis had gladly regaled them with the tale. Raine, unsurprisingly, was not best pleased and moved to sit by herself shortly after eating the meal that Kratos had quickly cooked up for them all.

Silence gradually fell over the camp as night drew in, until Raine suddenly announced that she was going for a walk. She left before anyone could respond.

After half an hour, she had not returned and the group had started to become worried. Kratos quickly volunteered himself to the task of finding her. Sheena and Genis cast him sly looks as he left, Lloyd and Colette remaining oblivious.

--

Moonlight fell over the glade like a veil, masking everything with a subtle silver sheen. Trees stood out from the darkness, their leaves picked out in white, the rough surface and knots in their bark plain to the eye.

Raine felt as though she had almost wandered into another realm, the moon reflecting in black water, staining it molten silver. It was monochromatic, beautiful stark black and white.

She wished life was that clear cut and simple. Trees rustled behind her. She knew he would come to find her.

"Raine?"

"I'm here, Kratos."

"Are you..."

"I'm fine. I just wanted sometime to think."

"I see."

"And what about you?" Raine questioned, turning to look at him as he sat down beside her. "Is there something on your mind?"

"Not particularly."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"You seemed a little...perturbed by the events at the lake earlier."

"Heh..."

"So?"

"I...could have done without some of that information."

"Sheena's...status?"

"For one, yes."

"Ah...I see. You took my excuse as meaning that I wasn't 'qualified' as Sheena put it."

"Are you?"

"Qualified?" She slid her eyes over to him. "Does it matter?"

"Not really. I'm merely curious."

"So it doesn't matter to you whether your partner is a virgin or not?"

"No...though I will admit that most of my previous partners have been."  
"I see. Well...if you want the truth...no, I'm not."

Kratos didn't respond for a moment.

"I would ask you the same, but it's obvious that you're not." She chuckled slightly in the quiet air, shuffling over slightly to lean against his arm.

He smiled lightly. "Who was he?"

"Just...someone I thought I was in love with, and someone who I thought loved me back."

"Did he not?"

"Well, unless I'm deceived, most people don't sleep with the people they love and then break off the relationship."

"...You were used..."

She nodded. "Too young and naïve to know what he was doing."

"...How long ago?"

"Five years," she sighed "I was eighteen but... I should have known. I was aware that things like that happened, but I never thought it would happen to me."

"No-one ever does. But...it wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't it?"

"You trusted somebody. You fell in love, you can't be blamed for that. Ignorance and innocence are not crimes..."

"But people pay for them."

"That is unfortunately the nature of the world. Of people."

"I wish that I'd known."

"So do all...but you are not alone in making that mistake, nor should you punish yourself for it."

"True. It won't help me...though..."

"It's left you with trust issues?"  
"Yes. I don't think I could cope with being betrayed by someone I love again."

Kratos swallowed thickly.

"Kratos?"

"I...understand what you mean...I would never willingly cause you harm, Raine."

"...I know."

Tentatively he pressed a kiss to her temple. She turned in response, pressing her lips against his, shifting as his arms slowly encircled her so that she could reach his mouth easier.

It was slow, sweet and warm, and Raine loved these moments where she could, for once, be soft and gentle. To be able to drop her defences and just be _her_.

She pressed against him more firmly, deepening their kiss, feeling his arms beginning to squeeze tighter about her, muscles flexing against her waist.

His mouth was hot against hers as his tongue slipped into her mouth, stroking against hers. She responded instantly, tongue pressing and sliding against his.

Hands, strong and firm took hold of her hips as she shifted until she was on her knees, pressing herself against his torso, positioning herself between his spreading legs so that they might become closer.

**Strong scenes begin here**

Time slid by, somehow dizzyingly fast and sweetly slow and she became aware of a heat growing in the pit of her stomach which she hadn't felt for many years. Her hands were at his shoulders now, one sliding down to his shoulder blades, pressing there to hold him against her. His were still on her hips, thumbs running in slow circles across the tops of the prominent hip bones. They broke away from each other only to breathe and for the briefest of moments, a strange desperation beginning to settle between them. There was not long until they may be separated forever. Raine couldn't speak for Kratos, but it had been far too long since she'd connected with someone physically, and she was not about to miss this opportunity...not here, not with this man.

She pulled her mouth from his, moving her lips to the corner of his jaw below his ear, brushing long strands of course dark auburn hair out of the way as she mouthed at the flesh. She could feel stubble beneath her lips, the five o'clock shadow that had grown over the day, scratching subtly at her lips. Following the line the line of his jaw, she brought a hand up to the collar of his cape, letting her fingers trail along the skin of his neck beneath his jaw.

Kratos tilted his head back, one of his hands lifting from her hip to the cape pulling it off roughly, exposing more of his neck and arms. One of Raine's hands went to his bicep instantly, squeezing gently and feeling the strength and hardness of that muscle as her mouth slid from his jaw to his neck, kissing and nipping until she came across his collar.

His hand lifted to her face, pulling her from his neck, back to his mouth as the other lifted to the front of her coat, taking hold of it and sliding it from her shoulders. Raine pulled her arms back, allowing him to slide the coat down them more easily before returning them to his shoulders when she was free of the garment.

They were pressed close now, heat beginning to rise from the two bodies as they started to work up a slow friction. Raine's hands went to his collar, finger running gently along the edge and Kratos got the hint, lifting his hands to pull it apart, working downwards until the front was undone, allowing her to slide it free from him, baring his torso to the moonlight once more.

It picked out the contours of his body as it did the scenery around them, highlighting prominent lines and deepening dips with heavy shadow. It caught the lines of his ribs and collarbones, the shallow crevices of his stomach, the hollow of his clavicle, throwing his entire body into stark, contrasting light, as if he were a creature of both good and evil, represented in a human form. An angel and a devil.

Raine ran her hands down the front of his body appreciatively, feeling the slight swell of his pectorals, the utter firmness of his entire body.

Her fingers caught a scar, a thin line scraped over his left pectoral and she traced up the line slowly with her fingers, following it up to his collarbone. Her breath was blowing softly against his chest as she tentatively kissed down his sternum, hands falling to his hips as he leant back slightly, hands in her hair.

There was no confusion, no hesitancy from him. He knew exactly what this was going to lead to, and if she was comfortable enough to go the whole way with him, he was more happy to oblige.

A thought of Anna flashed through his mind briefly as Raine kissed her way down his toned abdomen, and a pang of guilt shot through him. His muscles tensed involuntarily and Raine looked up sharply.

"Kratos?" her voice was hushed in the still air, concerned and worried.

She was no doubt less experienced than him when it came to these matters and she wondered if perhaps she was not pleasing him with her actions.

He looked down at her, garnet eyes flicking back to reality. "It's nothing, Raine. But.."

"But?" she asked, dreading the response.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

She sat up and shifted closer to him, straightening her back as she knelt so that she was above him. Gently she leaned down to kiss once, softly, at his mouth. "I am quite certain. But...are you sure you are happy with this? You seemed somewhat hesitant."

"It was a brief, inappropriate thought. Think nothing of it."

"You're sure?"

"Raine..." he placed his hands on her hips, lifting her from her kneeling position. She took the hint quickly and parted her legs, draping them behind him as he lowered her into the cradle of his hips. She felt him immediately, pressing against her from beneath. His head tilted back and his eyes fell shut for a moment, feeling the pressure of her body against him. "Surely this is all the proof you need?" he whispered, rocking his hips slightly.

She smirked lightly at him, rocking her own hips down, watching as his head fell back again, a slight gasp escaping parted lips.

Lifting his head, Kratos leaned forwards, his lips falling against her necking, sucking gently until she gently pulled him away.

"That'll leave a mark that can't be covered. Wait a moment."

Kratos thought the command 'wait' was one she had not thought through very well, considering his current situation.

She shifted in his lap, lifting her arms above her head before grabbing her blouse, pulling it off over her head. Kratos watched with interest as she threw it away before looking down at the body that had just been revealed.

She was slim and smooth, her skin just as pale as his but pure, unmarred by scars from a lifetime spent fighting. Her chest was full, but not overbearing, her shoulders slender and strong, her abdomen taught and flat. He leaned into her again, slower this time, his mouth closing on the join of her shoulder and neck, sucking the skin into his mouth, tongue lapping at it gently. She was sweet and musky at the same time, subtle but undeniably feminine.

His hands laid themselves gently on her skin, finding it to be as soft and smooth as it looked as one hand slid to the small of her back, the other resting on the shoulder he wasn't paying attention to.

His fingertips rubbed against her spine is slow circles, the hand on her shoulder ghosting down over her collarbone, running onto the slope of her breast gently. He stopped, his hand still and pulled his mouth from her neck, looking up at her questioningly. Drawing his face up to his with her hand, she kissed him, the other hand guiding his hand lower, into the confines of her bra.

She gasped as his fingers set to work, teasing her until he removed the hand, sliding both around her back to unhook the garment. She let it fall down her arms, baring herself to him, trembling slightly under the intense gaze as he took in the sight of her.

He shifted, pulling one arm around her shoulders, the other around her hips, lifting her as he pulled himself up onto his knees, laying her gently on the ground beneath him. She felt clothes and earth beneath her back as he lowered her to the floor, his hands pulling out from behind her to ghost down to her hips, barely skimming her shivering skin.

His mouth followed down, leaving a wet trail over her skin until he came to the peak of her breast, taking it into his mouth slowly.

She gasped, back arching as his mouth closed over her, wondering if this was perhaps just a modicum of what a man might feel when he took a woman, to feel such hot wetness encircling, holding, and drawing him deeper.

Kratos' hands were at her back, supporting gently as his tongue flicked against her. She arched further, pushing more of herself into his mouth as he sucked at her, the hand on her upper back leaving, drawing around to the front. The lack of support made her upper half hang, pushing evermore of her into his mouth, as much as he could handle as his other hand worked at the other side of her chest.

He opened his eyes, looking up at her as she lay beneath him, her back arched and muscle taut. And this was nowhere near the extent of what he could give her.

He slid his hand down, away from her chest, following the central line of her taut stomach that was pulled even tighter by her posture. Fingertips travelled over her, falling briefly to the hollow of her navel, before skating out and down further, until he was running his fingers against the hem of her trousers.

He pulled his mouth from her.

"Raine."

She lifted her head in response meeting his eyes levelly.

"You're sure?"

She sat up instantly, saliva glistening on her bared body as she took his hand and, just as she had before, guided it beneath the fabric.

Kratos didn't need to be told twice. He trailed hot kisses down her abdomen, following the path his finger had travelled, his hand pulling free from her pants to take hold of the hem, pulling them down pale thighs, removing her boots when he reached her feet and placing the clothing aside carelessly.

His fingers were at the lines of her underwear in seconds, trailing along them as he leaned forwards to kiss her before hooking his fingers inside and drawing them down her legs as he had the trousers.

She trembled again, her entire body exposed to cool night air. Kratos sat back on his haunches, mouth open, his breathing starting to become heavy as he looked over her perfect form.

He lowered himself onto her, pressing his body firmly against hers whilst taking care not to put too much of his weight onto her.

She could feel him pressing against her fully now, the firmness held back only by thin layers of material and she pushed herself against him at the thought. He grunted quietly, leaning over her, his hands suddenly busy at his belt as he loosened both and pulled them away, his sword landing with a dull metallic clang as it hit the earth.

Raine lifted her hands to his pants, grasping them and pulling them down his muscular legs, to find that he wasn't wearing anything underneath.

He kicked the pants and boots off irritably before capturing her mouth again, leaning over her and letting his weight come to rest against her dainty frame again.

They shifted together now, rubbing bodies slowly together working up heat and friction between skin, never quite daring to take the next step. Or at least, not yet, not until the sweat was running freely down Kratos' firm back, trailing down his spine. He could feel it rolling off him, and he opened his mouth, looking to Raine's already flushing face when she placed both hands against his buttocks, brining him against her.

She didn't make him breach her...not yet, but took a deep breath and, leaning forwards, kissed him softly on the lips before whispering her command into his ear.

He obeyed her instantly, placing both hands beside her torso and slowly, almost painfully slowly, pushed his hips forwards.

She gave into him easily, giving no resistance as he pushed forwards, burying himself as deeply as he could. Raine gasped, hips rocking as reflex against him, unable to still herself and Kratos took the hint instantly beginning to move his hips in time with hers.

Time passed easily as they rocked together, bringing forth gasps and cries, low groans and grunts until they were calling each other's names, spiralling every higher to their spectacular ending.

--

**End scene**

Raine panted, falling still in Kratos' arms as he curled around her, cocooning her with the warmth of his body. She planted gentle kisses across his collarbone before sighing heavily.

"We'll have to return to them now, we've lingered here too long." Kratos murmured into her hair, an arm curled around her.

"I know. But I wish we didn't."

"As do I, but reality calls."

"I hope they're asleep, it'll be difficult to cover this up if they're awake."

"Perhaps. But Lloyd and Colette are oblivious."

"And Genis and Sheena?"  
"They suspect there is something between us...though I'm not sure quite how much they believe us. They seem quite assured of it."

"Well...I would have to tell Genis eventually."

"True enough."

Slowly, grudgingly, they rose and dressed, wiping the dried grass and mud off as they did, returning to camp together.

Sheena was sitting up, keeping watch when they approached...or at least she seemed to be. In actuality her eyes were closed and she was snoring quietly, propped up against a tree.

Kratos shook his head before taking up the watch post as Raine draped a blanket over Sheena, returning to her own makeshift bed. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Kratos smiled softly at the sleeping woman, tilting his head back to look up at the stars. For once he felt content and satisfied. Somewhere, in the far reaches of his mind, guilt niggled at him...for Anna, for Lloyd...and for Raine too.

He didn't want to have to put her through the ending of this relationship, but they both knew it was going to happen. At least they had not crossed the boundary of falling in love yet, even if they were close. He could spare her that when he finished his job here.

Sighing, he shoved the thoughts back into the crevices of his mind, aware of them lingering and lurking, just waiting to crawl to the forefront of his mind once more.

* * *

And that's it for another week. Hope the sex didn't spoil it for anyone etc. Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated. And please, feel free to ask questions about the fic, should you have any. :)


	21. The end

A.N: Hello people and thanks as always for reviews. A note for this chapter:

Firstly, it is by far the longest chapter I have ever written (approx. 10,000 words), so I'm hoping it's not too much of a slog to get through. Basically covering from Hima to the events of the tower of salvation.

Oh, and there are some references to sex here.

And... Basically, this chapter's been so long that it perhaps doesn't achieve everything that I had hoped it to in terms of the emotional content, but I didn't want to drag it out any longer so...don't be surprised if the ending isn't jam-packed with emotion. It will come, in the next chapter, I promise you.

Anyway, enough about it here, you'll have to read for yourself and see what you think.

Enjoy!

* * *

The end

The sun rose slowly, reluctantly, into a deep blue sky, colouring it and banishing darkness, its rays waking the land. Wind whispered softly over plains and through forests, messages carrying on its length. Messages of hope. The time was near at hand. Soon, the world would be regenerated, giving the land a new lease of life, bringing peace and comfort to its people who had struggled for so many years.

Yet not all were pleased with the turn of events. Not entirely.

The group of travellers who had been on this journey for so long now were exhausted, physically and emotionally, despite the slumber they were still wrapped in. When they awoke, the burden of their waking lives would be eased little for the knowledge of the events to come. The Chosen's fate.

The air among them was growing thick with emotion. Outbursts of anger or sorrow were common. Lloyd had taken to spending all of his time possible with Colette, Genis a close contender for second place. He, however, understood that the Chosen was in need of personal space to think and so didn't take offence when he was gently asked to leave. Lloyd didn't seem to understand that though. Consequently, he was spending a lot of his 'shunned' time with one of the other members of the group, usually Genis but, increasingly Sheena too. The three of them would spend much time together when Colette had asked to be alone. When she did accept them, Lloyd was determined to get as much fun out of the few days Colette had left as a human as possible and often dragged them off in the evening to explore or sit and talk in some remote place he had found.

And whilst the children were away, the adults did play.

'_"He's quite like you in that respect,_"' Raine had observed one night to Kratos, lying in his arms, cocooned in a blanket next to a roaring fire, sweat drying on damp skin. '_"He likes to find those quiet, solitary places and think."_'

'_"Hmph, I suppose that's true. It may be allowing him some respite...or a reprieve from the real world. Or indeed, everyone else. He will not take these next few days well."_'

They had discussed the issue long into the night, taking comfort in each other's presence, only moving when they had to go and find the rest of the group, leaving Noishe to guard the camp.

Now, however, the sun shone down on the sleeping group, rousing all but Kratos who sat on the edge of the camp with Noishe, a familiar frown set into hard features. Even his frown seemed to have deepened as of late though, to such an extent that even Lloyd and Colette had noticed it. He had sent them away without answering their questions, of course, and only he and Raine truly knew the reason. He did not want Colette to finish the regeneration ritual, or at least part of him didn't. He didn't want to leave Raine, and return to the job he had arranged for when he had finished this one. His way of life, flitting from one place to another. He was amazed that he was not yet entirely exhausted.

Glancing over, he took in the sight of Colette poking idly at the remains of the fire, and quietly bid her good morning. She replied with a bright, cheery smile that seemed so forced now. Such an unfortunate girl. She knew the truth...the weight she was bearing, Kratos was impressed at her resilience to the knowledge.

He cast an eye over the rest of the group, still slumbering peacefully, and made the decision to let them sleep a while longer. They would reach Hima by the end of the day at least and from there things were going to go quickly. They needed the respite from the reality for now.

--

It was a few hours later when Kratos finally decided that it was time they got moving and roused the group. He let them take their time with preparing for the journey, noting how Genis decided to cook a breakfast that would take a little longer than usual, how Lloyd had asked him for an extended training session that morning, how Raine had proclaimed that they should have a quick lesson and homework marking session before they set off.

Another two hours trickled by.

With nothing else to truly procrastinate with, they set off slowly, the unwelcome sight of the mountains looming in the distance.

Their pace was slower than usual, and they toyed a little with the few enemies that attacked them, taking a little more time to 'celebrate' their victory than they normally would.

For all their time-wasting however, they came across the dusty mountain path that none of them wished to see all too soon. They climbed as if it were several times steeper than it was, and as if they had huge packs upon their backs.

Still they came upon the hamlet too soon.

They set off for the inn as soon as it came into view, making their way up to the room they knew Pietro was in, finding Sophia standing over his bed, watching him. She turned when she saw them standing at the door, rushing to them, asking them for the healing technique, begging them to perform it, to save him.

Raine strode past easily, kneeling at the foot of the bed with her staff drawn horizontally in front of her. She stayed like that for a few moments, motionless and speaking softly, conjuring the power of the unicorn before letting a single word escape her.

"Resurrection!"

A light surrounded the immobile body, seeming to be drawn into him. It vanished after a few seconds, leaving nothing but silence and anxiety in its wake. For a few moments there was no sign of it working, no motion that told of Pietro's state until slowly he began to move, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He lifted a trembling hand to his forehead as he looked at the assembly.

"Where am..."

Sophia let out an ear splitting screech, throwing herself at the man and wrapping her arms around him.

"He woke up! Thank goodness!"

He pushed her away gently. "Sophia! Then…I reached Hima?!"

Kratos watched as Raine stood up and walked away from the foot of the bed without receiving so much as a thank you from the girl. All credit seemed to go to Sheena until she pointed Raine out. She gently waved away the thanks and pushed past Genis to stand beside Kratos. He smiled at her subtly when no one was watching, keeping an eye on her until something caught his attention.

Pietro was speaking worriedly.

"The Desians are trying to revive something called the Angelus Project. They're also developing a weapon called the Mana Cannon."

Kratos cocked his head. "Mana Cannon?" Raine looked up at him, interest and suspicion lurking in bright blue eyes "Do you mean Thor's Hammer, from the Ancient War?"

"I don't know the details. They are using things called Exspheres in these sinister experiments. Please, stop this Angelus Project with the power of the Chosen, and save us all!"

The mercenary frowned, aware of Raine watching him as Genis and Sheena informed them of the situation.

"I knew we could count on the Chosen!" He proclaimed, earning a raised eyebrow from Kratos.

"But I'm concerned about the Mana Cannon." Raine murmured.

"Yes. But we won't get anywhere pondering it here." He reminded her. They had a job to finish after all, no matter how much they didn't want to.

"Could this technique be used to save Clara as well?" Genis asked to Raine.

"Yes. I'm sure we will be able to save that poor woman when we have the time." Kratos answered in place of the other Sage, and Raine could hear the soft sadness in his voice.

With Pietro's illness healed, the group left quietly, mulling over each of their own issues, unaware that they were wandering outside.

Raine stopped and looked around, before turning to look up at the top of the mountain. "We can get a good view of the Tower of Salvation from the mountain in the back of this village. Let's have a good look at the Tower of Salvation and think about what we're all going to do."

Lloyd agreed sadly and together they made their way up to the top. The track was short but steep, the ground rocky and loose making it difficult to climb, but they eventually made their way up onto a large plateau.

The air was clear and crisp, almost chilly. Clouds swirled below them, sliding over the brown, green and blue world spread out at their feet. And there in the distance, un-missable, stood the Tower of Salvation. It was taller than any of them would've given it credit, for it travelled up past the mountains they stood in, up through the clouds and atmosphere, disappearing into a needle like tip. It was difficult to gauge just how tall it was, for if you couldn't see the top, how could you know?

The group stood quietly, looking out at the tower as the wind swirled around them. It did nothing to carry away their heavy hearts and mood.

Lloyd sighed. "Looking at it like this, it feels really close."

"But it's really very far away. And it looks like there's no path leading to it." Genis answered, as if it would offer some form of comfort to his friend.

It seemed to a little, for if there was no path, they would have to spend time looking for it...giving them more time with Colette while she was still human. Giving them time together as a group. But taking time from the world's survival. The longer they dawdled for their own peace of mind, the shorter the world had left to live.

The problem seemed, almost coincidentally, to be solved a moment later as a voice called to the group, dragging their attention from the tower.

"Have you ever wanted to get a closer view of the Tower of Salvation?" he questioned.

Lloyd reacted instantly, disbelief showing on his features. "Wh…what did you say?!"

"Oh, I can see from that reaction you are interested!?" The man beamed. Kratos rolled his eyes, wondering just what Lloyd was about to get them into.

He listened quietly as the man introduced them to the concept of 'dragon tours' and it was all Kratos could do not to scoff. Riding dragons on land was one thing, but to have them carry you through the air?

"Great! You have the honour of being the very first customers of the Dragon Tour! Let's see now, six people means three dragons, so… Here's a special price available only today! It'll be 6,000 Gald!?" The man proclaimed and Kratos felt his eyebrows disappear into his hairline at the steep price.

"That's expensive!" Lloyd protested.

The vendor's smile dropped instantly.

"It can't be helped. We have to get to the Tower of Salvation." Raine sighed. Genis nodded grudgingly.

"Yeah, it's for the world regeneration."

The man froze. "Wha…what did you say?! Are you the Chosen's group?!…"

"That's right." Raine smiled condescendingly at the man and Kratos hid his own amused expression under the pretence of brushing lint off his shoulder.

"Oh, my!" He exclaimed "No, no, no, this won't do at all! I can't possibly take money from the Chosen! Please put that money away!"

"…We haven't taken it out yet." Genis pointed out and Kratos' hidden smile grew a little. He would miss the wit and intelligence of both Sages when they had parted ways.

Raine and the vendor went ahead with the deal. Three dragons would be prepared for them for tomorrow morning...meaning tonight was their last night together.

"Is that all right with everyone?" Raine asked after sometime.

"I have no objections." Kratos murmured softly to her.

With the arrangements made, they left the mountain top, making their way down slowly and stopping outside the inn. The day was drawing into its late stages, the morning and afternoon having passed by in a glance.

"Let's split up for tonight. But don't go outside the village. Understood?" Raine suggested, glancing up at Kratos as she said it, meaning in her gaze. They would all need time to themselves tonight...she would have her words with him as always. Kratos nodded as the others agreed.

"We'll be leaving in the morning." he reminded softly.

They left the area, splitting up to be on their own, mulling over their thoughts in silence.

--

Kratos sat on a rock in the graveyard set behind the hamlet, watching clouds drift by the lower sides of the mountains, the grey line of the tower of salvation never out of his sight.

He sighed to himself.

He had never thought it would come to this, that he would find himself in this situation. He had never thought he would find himself feeling so attracted to another person again. Not after Anna. And he hadn't imagined that he could put himself into a position where he _knew _he was going to get hurt by leaving Raine. And hurt her in the process. And not to mention, Lloyd.

His only son, the last of the Aurion line. All others had been killed off when Kratos had still been a child. Was it fair for him to not tell the boy that his father, who loved him more than he thought possible, was alive and well...and had been travelling with him for the past two months? Who was he to with hold that information?

But then...he was only doing what he thought best for his son. He was his father after all, that was his job. And besides, the information would only confuse and hurt the boy...and he had a father. One that had been there for him everyday that the boy had known him.

Kratos had three years with his child, Dirk had had fourteen with him. Who was the real dad there?

Lifting a hand to rub tiredly at his eyes he thought about it. No...Lloyd was better off not knowing. Tomorrow, they would complete the world regeneration ritual. Lloyd would go back to Iselia with Genis and Raine and they would never see him again. It was better for them all. He couldn't live with them in their world. He wasn't like them, he couldn't be one of them. The ability for him to be normal, to have a normal life was taken the moment he was born. No...the moment he was conceived. Maybe if he had been raised differently....

But then he wouldn't be here with them today then.

Still, they were better off without him.

Standing, he brushed down the back of his dark britches. He had things to attend to...he needed to speak with Raine before tomorrow morning. Yet...he stood for a moment, watching as the sun slowly began to set, sending orange and pink into the sky in long, painted streaks.

Stone crunched behind him as he stood and he turned his head a fraction. It was Lloyd, no doubt. No one else, other than Raine, spoke to him all that much usually and he knew she was still distracted by other thoughts at the moment.

"Your journey is finally coming to an end." He stated as the boy came to stand beside him. He looked a little startled, as though he hadn't realised Kratos knew he was there.

"This isn't the end I hoped for." He confessed after a moment, voice heavy.

Kratos looked down to the boy. He was staring out across the land, just as Kratos did when he was thinking, his face pulled into an expression of sorrow.

"Really?" He questioned, and the boy looked up at him sharply "It's the journey you started by clinging to the Chosen. This was to be expected."

Though he had no intention of truly hurting the boy, he knew the words he spoke were doing so. But then, Lloyd needed to wake up to the real world and realise what he was doing. His biological father would not be around to guide him much longer.

"…Clinging to the Chosen?" Lloyd questioned, anger rising a little in his voice.

Kratos nodded, ensuring that he kept eye contact with the boy as he spoke. "Don't you remember? It was you who said we have the Chosen on our side, the saviour who will regenerate the world."

"Yeah, that's right. I said that. And that's why I have to protect her." His chest puffed up a little and Kratos had a sudden urge to smack his son around the back of the head. Was he not aware of what he was saying? Was he not aware of what he was doing? Had the boy absolutely no concept of reality?

"If relying and depending on the power of the Chosen at the most crucial time is what it means to protect her, then the meaning of the word 'protect' must have changed significantly from my understanding," Kratos pointed out, brief images of the night he had lost his son flashing back to him. The graves in front of him were not helping either. "And now the Chosen is trying to resolve everything by sacrificing herself."

He hoped the words would jolt Lloyd into some kind of understanding.

"What are you trying to say?"

Apparently, it didn't work. The older man shook his head. He really was going to have to spell it out for him.

"Lloyd. Don't make a mistake." He warned.

"I don't quite get it, but I got it. But hey, if I make a mistake, can't I just do it over again?"

Another urge to smack him, but instead, the mercenary just scoffed. "… Do it over. If it's something you can do over again, then…feel free."

Dense to the end, and it was for that exact reason that Kratos could see Lloyd making the same mistakes as he had once done. He hoped that he was wrong.

Lloyd had fallen silent and, after a moment, he excused himself, thoughts heavy on his mind no doubt. Kratos gave him a grunt of acknowledgement before turning back to watch the sunset.

--

Raine sat at the edge of the mountain village, her gaze blank as she stared across an expanse of swirling cloud. They seemed to mirror her thoughts, constantly shifting, tumultuous and never ending....but always the same. One single thought multiplied a thousand times just circling in her mind. It was driving her insane.

Actually no...two thoughts...like one grey cloud, and one black cloud constantly skimming past her on a blue sky...a blue sky that they were now blocking out.

Colette and Kratos.

The problem was, she didn't know which was the grey cloud and which was downright black. She had a sneaking suspicion that it was, unfortunately, Kratos who was the blackness.

She shook her head, hating herself for the thought. Colette was about to end her life as a human...and all she could think about was the fact that her and Kratos might break up tomorrow. The conversation she had with Lloyd earlier echoed back to her. And she had been brutally honest with what she had said:

_'"Professor, you're a scholar, right? Can't we do anything?"'_

_'"…Don't you understand yet? You're not too bright. It's because I'm a scholar that I'm fascinated by Colette as she continues to transform into an angel."'_

_'"You can't be serious, Professor."'_

_'"You think so? Now, go to her."'_

Had she really grown so absorbed into her studies and her relationship that she didn't care for her student's life anymore? Part of her told her that wasn't true, for if it was, she wouldn't be having these thoughts. But still...

She wondered if it was partly because she really couldn't do anything to help the poor girl.

_'"You want to thank me? Don't worry about it. Despite knowing what your future holds, this is all I can do for you."'_

There really was nothing she could do now. Nothing anyone could do, no matter what will they had. Even Lloyd, no matter how hard he might try, wouldn't be able to save her now. Everything was left to fate.

She scoffed. Fate. What a cruel joke.

If fate existed, and was therefore dictated by a higher force, then it must be dictated by the Goddess Martel. Which meant that Martel was a sincerely twisted individual indeed. To force a sixteen year old girl to sacrifice herself just to wake her up and save the world. How was that fair on any one?

And in a hundred years or so, it would happen again. There would be another journey of regeneration when the world began to slip back into decline. All this journey did was buy them some time...time which would then be taken from them by this Tethe'alla place, if what Sheena said was true.

How long would their salvation last? How long until Tethe'alla performed their own regeneration ritual? It was all pointless really.

What was the point in anything if it was all just going to be taken and destroyed, no matter how hard you tried to save it? Like this relationship with Kratos.

She had...enjoyed it, immensely so. It had been many a year since she had met someone she could speak with so frankly, so openly. So long since she could be herself, not the scholar or the sister or the ruin maniac, the teacher, the village member, the elf or anything else. Just Raine Sage. And she had appreciated every moment of it, and now, she didn't want to go back to a life without that. She didn't want to go back to a world where she had no connection with someone, where no-one understood the way her mind worked, her understanding of the world. Why should fate make her give that up?

But in the end...she had to give it up, to her deepest regret. She would miss him, she knew already...but despite all the good times, she wondered if the pain she may well be about to go through would be worth that happiness. Was a few weeks of happiness worth what she knew may well be months of misery and hurt?

She would move on, she knew. Or at least, she assumed she would, because that's how people survive trauma. You move past it. Like Kratos had with Anna. You accept it and move on, because there's nothing you can do to change it now. Just like Colette.

She stood suddenly, brushing off the back of her trousers and looking up into the dark sky. She needed to speak with him, in private for what would probably be the last time. If she was going to end this relationship, she was going to end it with something worthwhile.

She turned on her heel, preparing to walk to the graveyard where she had seen Kratos wander off to, only to find the man was standing behind her already, a light smirk playing over thin lips. She jumped noticeably.

"Did you _have _to do that?!"

"Startle you? No, but I thought it might be mildly amusing. I was right."

"Wonderful."

"Were you planning to retire already?" Kratos asked, breezing past the sour tone.

"Not just yet. I was actually about to look for you."

"Wonderful." He replied, amusement in his voice.

"Why so?"

"I...was about to take a stroll to the top of the mountain and I was wondering if you would wish to accompany me?"

"Why all the way to the top?"

"It guarantees our uninterrupted privacy."

Raine smiled. "We'll need uninterrupted privacy will we?"

"For what I have planned, yes."

He walked away, leading her up the track. They walked in silence for the most part, Raine's breathing becoming a little more laboured as they trekked uphill. Kratos strode on easily, not finding the incline the least bit challenging and Raine hated him for it. One day, she would be able to challenge him at something like this too, to prove that she had physical skills as well as intelligence. Well...she'd be able to challenge him if she ever saw him again, anyway.

Eventually, they came to the top of the mountain where they had stood earlier, staring out at the tower of salvation. The air was chill but the wind only a gentle breeze. A fire sat in the centre of the flat space before them, flickering gently and casting light over a blanket set beside it.

Raine turned to look at Kratos, an eyebrow raised.

"Midnight camp out? You do realise that I want to sleep in a bed tonight?"

Kratos laughed softly. "You'll get your bed. But not for...at least an hour."

"An hour, hmm? Promises, promises."

Kratos circled around to behind her, letting his hands rest on her shoulders as he leaned forwards to whisper huskily in her ear.

"And I always deliver what I promise."

She turned and kissed him eagerly at the words, throwing her concerns out of the window with the promise of his body. It was with confidence that her hands went to the clasp of his cape, letting it fall from his shoulder, with boldness that she let her hands run into his hair.

Her first time with him had been wonderful...but nerve wracking, though she hadn't let him see it. But...he had been considerate of her, never once making a move too forward or too fast. She had eventually calmed down about the issue, letting herself respond more freely and enjoy the act.

After that, her worries had been quickly cast aside. He had not left her, or cast her aside as had been done to her before and in fact, the morning after had left him more easy going than any other day she had seen before. It was true that their few couplings after that had not been as slow though Kratos had made sure that her utmost pleasure was provided...but time was often of the essence. Their relationship was based on secret meetings and meaningful glances, the occasional stolen kiss or brush of hands or arms.

And they wouldn't dare even think about trying to carry out relations if the rest of their group were anywhere nearby. In fact, now that Raine came to think of it, she and Kratos had never actually slept together indoors, in a bed. It would make a nice change to, but of course, tonight that was impossible. Tonight everyone would be bundled together in one room....for the last time.

His hands were on her hips already, stroking firmly. An hour he had promised, and an hour at least he would deliver...but it was growing cold, even with the fire nearby and the only way to keep warm, would be to get moving. He didn't want cold to spoil the mood.

They moved together firmly, assuredly, hands working constantly, stroking or rubbing. Lips met and caressed as bodies rubbed and hands worked. Clothing was shed, piling onto the floor in haphazard stacks as they continued their motions into the night, wringing cries, grunts and groans from each other. The deepest, animalistic groans from Kratos, or a tense, held breath that he exhaled silently. The high gasp or pant from Raine.

Sweat gathered on skin as the heat of the nearby fire licked near them, light and heat falling onto bare, moist skin as the forms moved in perfect synchronisation, far into the night.

--

Kratos gasped for a final time, collapse limply onto Raine's pliable form, head falling to her shoulder as lungs dragged in desperate breaths. Her hands were in his hair, smoothing through the coarse, dark strands softly as she cradled his body to hers.

Lifting his head, Kratos reached to the side, pulling a blanket towards them and throwing it over their cooling bodies. He let his head drop to her shoulder again, remaining silent as one of her hands loosed from his hair to run in gentle patterns over his shoulder blade, fingers tracing the contours of muscle and bone.

Letting out a soft sigh, she craned her head back, looking up to the night's sky. It was pitch black, dotted with the stars and moon. Monochromatic and beautiful as always. And for this moment, so was their situation. But she knew, as her eyes traced over constellations, that it wouldn't last.

The sun would rise into the sky, banishing simplistic beauty with the harsh colours of day, the blues, pinks, reds, yellows and oranges that would blend together into the sky. Confusing and blurred, with no definition as to where one ended and the other began. Just as reality would creep back into her currently drowsy mind, too comforted by heat and warmth and the remaining tingles of pleasure that occasionally ran up her spine. A confusion of emotions and conflict, of right and wrong and the hazy area in the middle that she knew she was going to be thrust into, in just as few short hours.

Her mind sharpened at the thought and she lifted her head to look down at her lover, still draped lazily across her body.

He was placing gentle kisses against her shoulder now, and as she shifted, he lifted his own head to look at her. Red-brown eyes questioned her, concern beginning to play through them. But there was something else in there too. Guilt and sorrow and affection.

"Raine?" he asked, voice hushed, and drew himself up onto his forearms so that he could face her better.

"Reality returns to the mind all too soon, doesn't it?"

"For people like us, yes, unfortunately so…but…we can still stave it off. For a short while more."

She raised her eyebrows a little, questioning.

"Again?"

An amused grin flitted across his face for a fleeting second, before being replaced by something more sombre.

"I was thinking of merely dwelling here for a time, instead of returning to the inn."

Raine shifted beneath him as he slid from atop her so that he was lying on his side, facing her and she copied the position to face him. "Sounds pleasant."

His hands reached out to brush a lock of her from her face in perhaps agreement.

They remained like that for some time, quiet and contented in each other's company, the occasional word passing between them as they lay atop the mountain. Eventually Kratos turned his head from her.

"I will be sorry for tomorrow…"

"Do we have to speak of that?"

"Dawn is but a few hours away. We cannot deny the truth as children would…we have to face it sometime."

"I suppose so, though I wish it were otherwise."

"As do I, but…"

"Reality calls."

He nodded and sat up, looking at the peaks of distant mountains in the darkness. "I am sorry…" he murmured again.

Raine sat up beside him. "It cannot be helped. We have done all we can in this relationship, we've made the most but all good things come to an end, no matter how cruel it may seem to us."

"Indeed," Kratos remained silent for a moment longer before looking around. "We should return now. We need rest before tomorrow comes."

Nodding in agreement, Raine stood.

They dressed in silence before heading back down to the inn together, creeping into the room like unwatched teenage lovers that had snuck out from their parents' guard and wished to return silently without a hint of anyone knowing.

In the darkness, they settled down at opposite sides of the room. Separated.

--

Morning broke, the faintest rays of the sun warming the sky and Kratos slid from beneath the blankets that formed his bedspread.

The room was quiet, the sounds of Lloyd's occasional snore or grunt breaking the peace only fractionally and Kratos crept to the other side of the room, trying to avoid waking the room's occupants. Except Colette, who was of course already awake. He nodded to her in greeting and she smiled back nervously as he made his way into a sectioned off corner of the room to bathe and dress.

Clean and shaven, he stepped from behind the partition and with only a nod to Colette, he left the room quietly, knowing that she wouldn't question him.

The air was cool and fresh as he stepped outside and he quickly strode over to the animal that was standing on the other side of the village. Lloyd's pet, Noishe.

He was an animal that had accompanied his master through the entire journey, and one that Kratos, despite his apathy towards the animal kingdom, had come to enjoy the presence of.

Noishe lifted his head as the mercenary approached him, climbing to his paws and whining in greeting as the man put out a hand to stroke at his muzzle.

It was an action that had soothed Kratos when he was younger, to be with his pet and just be allowed to sit and think with a being that had no demands of you. And one that you knew you could trust to aid you no matter what.

"It's the end again, Noishe."

The 'dog' whined quietly.

"I have to return to my…other commitments. I wish it wasn't so this time but there is nothing I can do to change this state of events."

Another whine and Kratos sighed deeply.

"You'll have to continue watching over Lloyd for me. I have things I must do. In my place, I need you to…"

A sudden cry from behind him, causing Kratos to whip around.

"Kratos! Look out!"

He caught a glimpse of the person behind him as he span around to face him, wrenching his sword free from its sheath. Metal ploughed through armour and flesh, a rough grunt of pain coming from the man, and Kratos had just enough time to see a flash of electric blue before the man managed to teleport away.

"Stop!" Kratos commanded, aware that his order was too late. He was already gone.

Lloyd was at his side in an instant.

"Kratos! Are you ok?"

Flicking the blood from his sword, he sheathed it again, turning to face his son. And the boy would never know….this would probably be the last time he ever saw him, the last time he would be able to give him any parting advice…or any hint to who he really was. He swallowed.

"Lloyd, thank you." And there was sincerity in his voice as he said it. Without the boy, that assassin may well have managed to kill or at least injure him.

"Ah, it was nothing," Lloyd shrugged, blushing lightly. "But who was that?"

"I would imagine it's that assassin. He managed to get away, but I gave him an injury he'll not soon forget."

Lloyd nodded, clearly musing over a thought that he eventually chose to voice. "…I have a feeling I've seen him somewhere before."

The image of that electric blue flashed through his mind at the words. It was a colour that reminded him very distinctly of a friend of his. Or at least, someone who had once been a friend. Their relationship had soured somewhat lately, but the colour struck him clearly. He had never seen that shade represented on any other person than his former friend.

"…Yes, perhaps," he mused distractedly, before bringing himself back to the present. "Let's get back to the inn. Everyone's probably up."

"Yeah." Lloyd agreed and turned to leave, and Kratos had a sudden urge to give his son one piece of advice…one piece that would see him through.

"Lloyd…"

The boy turned. "Hmm? What is it?"

Kratos opened his mouth, feeling words of truth press at the back of his throat…but they died on his tongue. "…Don't die."

The boy, understandably, looked instantly confused by the rather serious comment. "Wha? Yeah, okay. What's up all of a sudden?"

Kratos shook his head, realising what a fool he'd been to even try. "Don't worry about it."

He left promptly, leaving the confused boy behind as he headed back into the inn, wondering just how he was going to get through the next few hours.

--

Raine frowned as she lifted her staff from the floor, turning briskly and leaving the inn to wait for the rest of the group outside. She had not yet had a chance to see Kratos alone, and she found herself to be both disappointed and relieved. Words would likely only make the next few hours more painful, and they had said their goodbyes, their true goodbyes, last night, in motions and held gazes.

Minutes sped past and all too soon, the group was assembled. Gazes were held down to the floor, the group standing in uncomfortable, sombre silence and it was Lloyd who eventually broke it.

"It's finally time."

He seemed to have said it more to himself than anyone else, and it was as if he didn't realise he said it, for when Kratos suggested they hurry his head jerked up and he looked to the older man with wide eyes.

They made their way up the hill slowly, slower than they had the day previously.

Kratos strode ahead easily. He wanted to get this over with. The sooner they were done here, the sooner he could get onto his next job and forget about this journey. It had been too long and he had grown careless. He had to leave this boy that was supposed to be his son behind; he had to leave this woman who was going to tear his heart in two behind. He had to keep moving.

The breath of the others was laboured as they reached the top of the hill, and Kratos was relieved to see that the man with the dragons was already there, three saddled dragons sitting placidly at the edge of the cliff.

"I've been waiting for you," he announced, looking around at the sorrowful faces of the group as they approached, and he was visibly taken aback. The world regeneration was about to occur, why should they look so down? "…Please… board the dragons in pairs."

Kratos looked around at his group, eyes falling on the girl he was about to deliver to the tower.

"I will ride on the same dragon as the Chosen."

Raine glanced up at him sharply, questioningly and he promptly looked away. "Protecting her…is my job."

The memory of when they flashed through his mind.

'"_Kratos." _

"_What is it?"_

"_Why did you take on the job of guarding Colette?"_

"_I'm a mercenary, that's how we earn money to live."_

"_In other words, it's just a job?" _

"_That's correct." _

"_That's really all?"_

"_Yes…"'_

He shook his head. He hadn't lied. This _was _his job.

Pulling himself back to the present, once again, he strode towards the dragon he was to ride, Colette following at his heels. Ever obedient.

He climbed onto the animal's back easily, helping Colette up easily as the others decided who was going to ride with whom. With a call over his shoulder to inform them of their departure, and to throw a last glance to Raine, he spurred the dragon with his heels. The reptile leapt into the air, wings snapping open and beating powerfully, bearing them up into the clouds, out of the sight of the others.

Raine watched Kratos take off with Colette. The two people she was about to lose being flown away from her by a dragon. She was aware vaguely of Genis saying that he would fly with her, that Lloyd and Sheena could fly together and she walked mechanically to the animal, sliding onto its back.

Ordinarily, she may well have been fascinated by the experience. After all, dragons were ancient animals, but her mind was filled with thoughts of the present. She barely registered the feeling of the wings beating either side of her, of Genis pressing against her back, of the wind in her clothes, the rough scales beneath her hands.

She wasn't aware how long she travelled on the dragon's back, with Genis' arms wrapped about her waist, but she saw the tower looming ever closer, the grass at its base coming into view as the dragon descended, hitting the floor rather heavily. She slid off its back and dashed up the stairs to the open door of the tower, watching Genis as he ordered the animal to return home before running up to join her.

"Where're Lloyd and Sheena?"

She pointed to a black shape in the sky becoming rapidly clearer and her heart beat rapidly as she watched it solidify as it approached.

She longed to just dash up the stairs and get this over and done with…or to run away and hide from the truth that was about to occur.

Eventually, Sheena and Lloyd managed to join them, dashing upstairs to meet the Sage siblings.

Lloyd's eyes were wide.

"Where're Colette and Kratos?"

"Looks like they've gone in already. Let's hurry up." She answered briskly, before turning and disappearing inside the tower. Lloyd was in front of her in an instant as they made their way into the odd blue lit area. A warp pad stood ahead and they quickly took it to the next level.

It was all blue-green and modern looking. Tinted glass floors surrounded by an empty green space that seemed to be lit with its own light. Except that it wasn't empty, because Lloyd was pointing out something in that open space.

Black objects floated in the void, spiralling high up into the tower in circles, their movements slow but endless. Raine caught a better look at one as it passed close, and she gasped and recoiled in horror.

"What are those?" Lloyd asked, before catching sight of the one Raine had just scene.

It was about six foot long, three feet wide, with angled black sides…two flat, four sloped. Like a coffin. And inside was a humanoid shape, bound in white cloth, runes and glass set over the front of the box.

"They're…bodies?!" Lloyd hissed.

"…Then those must be…coffins." Raine whispered, aware of the others staring out at them now, transfixed by the floating boxes and bodies.

"…Why are all these dead bodies here?!"

"They may be…" she swallowed thickly, the reality of this cruel system of world regeneration hitting her in the face once more "…all the Chosen that failed the world regeneration up until now."

They dashed off immediately, Colette's fate hanging heavy in their minds as they sprinted up the glass path to the teleporter ahead, dreading what they would find when they reached their final destination.

--

The room was huge. A vast, blue-green space within a tower and there, set in its centre a large green and grey platform. Torches constructed of black onyx, with tiny star lights trapped within them lined the area. Huge twisted chunks of earth and root curled up over the platform, as if forming a cage.

And there, on top of the tiered platform knelt Colette, as if she were on some great stage. Light was shining down upon her as the group skidded to a halt.

"…What?" Lloyd questioned as the light continued to fall and the familiar figure of Remiel descended from within it. He looked rather pleased, yet sombre.

"Now, my daughter. Release the final seal!" He ordered to the kneeling girl. "In doing so, you will complete the final sacrifice of your human existence—your heart and your memory. By doing so of your own free will, you will become a true angel!"

"What?!" Sheena exclaimed.

"Sacrifice her heart and memory?!" Lloyd asked, stepping forwards, pain in his red-brown eyes.

"Colette's going to forget about us?!" Genis asked, turning to look at his older sister. Raine felt her heart break for the poor children in front of her, her brother and her student. She let her head fall a little.

"Colette's human life will now end, and she will be reborn as an angel."

Lloyd whipped around to face her, eyes wide and imploring. "Professor Sage, what is he talking about?!"

Guilt burned at her.

"Lloyd, I'm sorry," she breathed "I promised Colette I wouldn't say anything. Colette will give up her life in order to regenerate the world. Becoming an angel means dying."

"That's not quite correct." Remiel informed her, his voice seeming colder than usual and Raine lifted a defiant glare to his eyes. "The Chosen's heart will die, and her body will be offered to the Goddess Martel. By removing her body, Colette will revive the Goddess. This is the true nature of the world regeneration! The revival of the Goddess Martel…is the revival of the world itself!"

"That…that's…" Lloyd floundered.

Raine stepped forwards, past the boy to face the angel. Regretting this would not change anything. The only thing they could do was make the best of this…and get some information out of the angel. Specifically about this system between the two worlds.

"That is not for you to know." He dismissed her easily, confirming the truth even as Sheena jumped forwards, catching onto Raine's train of thought and questioning him about saving the worlds.

Remiel's expression grew a colder, his tone growing more clipped, more impatient at the mortal's questioning. It only continued to do so as events progressed and Raine watched the scene with a sense of surrealism as Lloyd begged Colette not to leave and Genis restrained his best friend from interrupting. This had to occur to save the world, no matter the pain it caused.

"The sacrifice of one single person, the Chosen, will save the world. Are you saying that you would choose the Chosen's soul over the entire world?" Remiel hissed at Lloyd, before turning to the girl "Now, Colette. Come join your father."

She turned obediently to face him, walking towards him purposefully. Magic burst from beneath her feet, forming into a circle that trapped her, lights flickering about her. Lloyd wrenched himself from Genis' grip and dashed forwards.

"Wait! Remiel! Is there really no other way? Colette's your daughter. Surely you don't really want her to die, either!"

"…My daughter?" he questioned "Don't make me laugh!"

And suddenly every pretence was dropped. The patient oracle, the shining holy being was gone, replaced with a sneering man who stared down at them with nothing but distaste.

"When I came down to play the role of guardian angel, you inferior beings just started calling me her father on your own."

Raine shook her head. She had heard about the rumour that Colette was the child of angel, but she had never believed it…but of course, she had known the truth all along, unlike her poor brother, her poor student.

She watched in silence, grief growing as she heard Colette's voice fall upon their ears, saying her goodbyes, thanking her friends and it was all Raine could do not to crumple with guilt there and then.

Colette was floating towards the angel now, her wings burst from her back in a flash of colour, eyes falling shut. Her body stiffened in the air, light encircling her and Raine felt her throat close as she watched Colette's soul being purged from her body. And she had done nothing to stop this.

The girl above them opened her eyes slowly, body slackening and instead of the soft blue irises Raine was so familiar with, shone a red, unblinking gaze.

There was silence. Utter silence. No one moved, no one breathed and time shuddered to a stop as they gazed upon the body of the soul-less girl.

And then raucous laughter rang around the tower.

Heads snapped to the angel in green as he threw back his head, laughing hysterically. Anger set into Lloyd's face, shock and confusion to Genius and Sheena.

"I've done it! It's finally complete! Martel's vessel is finally complete! With this, I shall become one of the Four Seraphim!"

_Four seraphim?_

"Wait just a minute!" Sheena demanded, hatred and anger blazing across her face now "What are you gonna do with Colette?!"

"He's going to take her to heaven." Raine answered softly. No fight in her words. Just guilt and sorrow and the hope that, somehow, there might be some truth to her own words. For once, she felt there wasn't, that she didn't know what she was talking about.

Lloyd was screaming at the angel now, cursing the higher being to the stars.

Remiel looked down to the boy, the expression similar to that of a cat eyeing its injured prey. "I have no use for any of you! Be gone!"

He flew at them suddenly, darting away from the immobile chosen towards her four companions, light glowing from within a clenched fist.

It took Raine a moment to register that they were under attack, for Lloyd was thrown to the ground by one of Remiel's attacks before she lifted her spell to start casting.

And there was only one thing running through her mind even as she watched Sheena and Lloyd dash towards the angel, weapons raised. Where was Kratos?

He was the experienced one in combat, he was the one who gave the orders and had kept the group safe through all the enemies they had encountered. So where was he now, at this critical moment when they were facing a higher being? At the point where they most needed him.

Had he slipped away from the tower so that he didn't have to say his goodbyes, or was he loitering somewhere? But surely if he was watching, he would lend them a hand, for it was his own son being assaulted by the angel in front of them, staggering under the blow of his attacks even as Sheena summoned Undine.

The maiden of the mist appeared in the tower suddenly, calling upon her powers to stream jets of water at the blonde, slamming him back into the sections of twisted earth that enclosed the platform they were now fighting on.

Lloyd was rushing towards him again, anger powering his movements as his blades carved through cloth, flesh and wing. Pure white feathers, torn and tattered fell to the ground spiralling downwards before being caught up in the draughts caused by the beating of wings or the slash of blades. Or the blades of air that Genis conjured to rip and shred at the being before them.

And yet their attacks seemed to be having little effect. The angel had taken many blows from Lloyd and Sheena, his clothes torn and scorched, his wings beginning to look ragged and tattered, but he still stood tall and it was with ease that he batted Sheena away as she intended to slap a card down onto him.

Genis and Lloyd were calling out to her, and Raine let her stored magic out in a rush of healing power towards the young woman, healing the broken ribs that the angel had caused.

The battle raged on, and time began to have little meaning to the occupants of the room. Swords slashed, spells and spirits summoned, magic was cast about the room in flurries of earth, fire, wind and water. Lightening crackled through the air, making hairs stand on end, light and heat swirling about the room in a dizzying collaboration of sensations.

Raine lifted her staff behind her shoulder, holding it in both hands as Remiel knocked Genis aside, Lloyd and Sheena struggling to their feet behind him. The angel approached slowly, wings beating easily through stifling air and she lifted her head to meet his eyes, her knuckles whitening as she clung to her staff and he smirked down at her.

And she brought the staff around, slamming it into his face with a dizzying blow that knocked him to the ground.

She darted away as soon as she saw him fall, sprinting to the other side of the room so that she might cast healing spells uninterrupted. Genis was already there, panting heavily, a bruise blossoming on his pale cheek.

Sheena and Lloyd were baring down up the fallen angel, taking advantage of his distraction, using it to rain blow after blow down upon him. Fire burst from beneath him as Genis cast eruption, sending the angel high into the air, his back burnt, blistered and bruised, his wings disintegrating. He snapped them out nevertheless, using the little plumage left to slow his fall, calling a spell up between his hands once more.

The room darkened and Raine's breath hitched…she knew that spell. She had used it so many times herself and she whipped her head around to look at her brother, Lloyd and Sheena, already beginning to cast her own defensive spell.

The words tumbled from her lips over the din and roar of battle, suddenly taking the role of commander.

"He's going to use Photon! Be ready to cast your defences!"

The ones that Kratos had taught them. But where was he now, the supposedly mighty protector.

Light shone in front of her eyes, a firework display of green and gold as shields and spells were cast. But only three glowing green orbs and Raine gave a cry as she saw the figure of Sheena becoming engulfed in light and fall to the floor.

Lloyd was on the angel again the second his own shield died away, slamming hilt and blade into the creature, doing anything he could to weaken the angel. They had to finish him. It couldn't end like this.

Another healing spell encircled Sheena, reviving and healing seared skin. She stood, staggering before focusing on the angel before her and letting out a savage cry and leaping at him.

Colours blurred in front of Raine's eyes. There were no shapes, just shimmering, moving colours, the bright red of flowing blood or Lloyd's jacket, the purple and white of lightening or Sheena's outfit, the ice blue of water and ice, or Genis' small figure.

But the balance was shifting, and Raine watched as lightening and fire, metal and spirit converged upon a green clad body.

He was thrown in the air once more, wings burnt away to nothing more that stumps of charred feathers and bone. And he fell.

He struck the floor hard, impaling himself on a chunk of rock that he had loosed from the curves of earth above them and he let out a high squeal of pain. He didn't climb to his feet again, but lay on the floor panting, blood streaming from a broken body.

"Impossible…" he gasped "how can an angel, the ultimate being, lose to a group of humans?" his voice was weak and trembling now, but Lloyd pushed himself up and past the angel without answering, moving towards the immobile Colette.

Raine let her head fall. They had beaten the angel, but that would not bring Colette back to them.

"Colette, come back to us! I'm going to restore you back to your normal self! I promise!"

There was no response from the blonde girl and she continued to stare sightlessly past Lloyd.

Lloyd lifted a hand to place upon her shoulder. "Colette…have you really forgotten me?"

The professor held herself back from the scene, listening to the quiet desperation in Lloyd's cracking voice. So defeated.

"You're wasting your time."

Heads snapped around and Raine jerked at the sound of the deep voice she had wanted to hear again. Kratos.

But there was a cold edge to it and this time, it was aimed at them. Her eyes locked onto the black clad mercenary who had suddenly appeared on the platform, standing on the upper level, some distance from Lloyd and Colette.

His arms were folded across his chest, his expression showing nothing but apathy towards the situation, the people in front of him.

"Not only did she lose her memory, but she has lost the soul to listen to your words. Now Colette is merely a puppet standing before death's door."

Harsh words to accompany a harsh tone, and Raine stared at the man. This was surely not the person who she had spent last night with? The one who had comforted her so over her guilt over Colette's condition as she turned into an angel.

This was not even the typically blunt Kratos. The one whose words were harsh but true, and meant merely to inform not to hurt. These words did not seem to be said in order to help understand…but in order to deter.

"Where have you been?! What are you saying?!" Lloyd shouted, fists clenching as he turned to face his father.

"The Chosen desired the regeneration of the world and chose this path herself. By the summoning of the Chosen to Derris-Kharlan, the seal will be broken and the regeneration will be complete."

"Kratos?…What are you talking about?" Lloyd's voice was growing softer, imploring as the man explained the situation and Raine could see the confusion and hurt in those dark brown eyes.

She glanced back to Kratos, and where he once would have sensed her and turned her head slightly to catch her gaze, he now only looked to Lloyd and Colette, his body language stiff and authoritive. It stung her to be shunned by him.

"It is what you wanted as well." He stated, his voice a fraction softer and Raine wondered if that was just her wishful imagination, that the man wasn't about to do what she thought he was, that he wasn't about to say what she thought he would. Because she couldn't have let herself be deceived again by another man…not this one who had understood her.

"We will take the Chosen as the new body for Martel."

...He was in on it. He was on the inside of Cruxis that controlled the church of Martel, helping to manipulate mana lineages. He had deceived from the start.

Anger and sadness flushed through Raine in equal parts as she glared up at the man before her. She only needed his confirmation now…

Remiel suddenly shifted on the floor, looking up at the mercenary, a pale blood covered hand stretched out towards him.

"Lord Kratos, have pity on me. Please…lend me your aid."

_Lord _Kratos?

The supposed Lord glared down at Remiel with nothing more than utter disgust, his lip curling back into a snarl as he answered:

"Have you forgotten, Remiel? I was once of the inferior race…a human. Does the ultimate being seek help from that which he despises the most?"

_Once of the inferior race…a human_

So cold. Uncaring and spiteful towards the dying creature in front of him. Raine had never believed the mercenary to be a cruel man but…it seemed here, at this time, everything she thought she knew was being destroyed.

Lloyd was striding towards Kratos now, his eyes hard and determined as Remiel let out a sputtering cough, the last breath leaving his body.

"Kratos…who are you?"

Kratos took a few steps back from Lloyd, unfolding his arms from across his chest, letting his eyes close.

Raine watched, heart sinking and breath catching, feeling fear and loathing begin to bubble in her chest, butterflies flitting through her stomach and the tiny pin pricks of pain on her eyes.

They unfurled from his back slowly, great long panes of light extending from his shoulder blades. Blue light cast over the room, shifting and swirling, as if they were standing at the depths of the ocean where the sun just managed to pierce.

They were huge, blue, sharp and they would have been staggeringly beautiful, if Raine had not seen them as the ultimate symbol of his betrayal to her. If they were not the symbol of him destroying everything they had shared over the past few weeks, if they had not just broken her.

Lifting his head and opening his eyes, staring straight ahead he let his wings, more than three times the size of Colette's, stretch out from his intimidating form.

"…I am of Cruxis, the organization that guides this world. I am one of the Four Seraphim, sent forth to keep close watch over the Chosen."

* * *

As I said, a little lacking in emotion, but I hope that hasn't spoiled it for you. A lot of the emotions surrounding the betrayal will be covered next chapter because, as you can see, we're not done with this scene.

So...yeah I hope what was in it is has given enough of a feel to it not to just drag and be a ratehr dull account of what happened. I have half a mind to re-write the end section, but I'll see what your responses are first.

Now... next chapter may be a little late with being updated. My pre-written chapters have now caught up with my posted chapters, so I now have to write the entire chapter, re-read and edit it. And on top of that I have a presentation that needs working on, two assignments (one which requires 4 hours of research), a test to revise for and a social life to balance it all out with. Starting with an Ann Summers party tomorrow :S  
As I said, next chapter might be a little late, but I will try to get it up on time, and for it to be decent. If it is late, it shouldn't be by any more than two or three days. I'm hoping wednesday at the latest.

And that's everything out of the way now I think. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and please....well, you can't push the pretty purple button, because it's not purple anymore so...please review with the aid of the shiny new green button :)


	22. Betrayal

A.N: Thanks, as always for all the reviews. All are still greatly appreciated.

Not much to say about this chapter. Hope it satisfies.

Enjoy!

* * *

Betrayal

Numb.

It was the only word Raine could use to describe her feelings at the revelations, the flurry of shocks and surprises that had just occurred.

Colette stood in the distance, an empty body now. And Kratos…

He stood towering over them, his disgustingly beautiful wings fanned out behind him, bathing him in light, like the angelic being he was supposed to be. Only…true angels didn't tear into the hearts of people who had come to care for them, or steal their friends away, or lie to them every step of the way for over two months.

Surprisingly, she thought, noting the world slipping by her as she fixated her gaze on that man, there was no stabbing hurt in her chest. No aching pains or yearning for it all to be a dream. She knew it was true. She accepted it. And for the moment, she accepted the void that seemed to form inside her…because she knew that all too soon, it would be replaced with pain, anger and misery.

Numbness seemed such a nice option. To remain neutral to the world and all its games.

But that was what _he _did, didn't he? That's how he lived his life. Apathetic.

Unlike Raine…she had always _wanted_ to remain apathetic towards him…but now she seemed only to have reached the level of pathetic.

"Deceived?" the deep voice questioned "If the Chosen merges with Martel, she will awaken, and the world will be saved. Is that not what you wanted?"

Raine felt her words slipping out in response to his automatically. "Once her body is taken by the Goddess of Martel, Colette will truly die."

"No."

She jerked her head up, noting that Kratos was staring straight at her, his expression unreadable. Anger flared in the pit of her stomach.

"She will be reborn as Martel."

"…Dammit! You think I'm going to let you do that?! Colette is our friend!" Lloyd shouted to the older man, wrenching his swords free.

Kratos narrowed his eyes at the challenge, jumping from the upper tier of the platform to land neatly before Lloyd.

The younger male backed up instantly, listening as everyone else pulled their weapons free. Kratos was standing before him, slowly pulling out his blade and holding it out to the side, the metallic rasp shearing through the air.

He tilted his head to one side as he eyed the assembly before them, the faintest of smirks on his lips.

"Do you _earnestly _think you can defeat me?"

It was the pure arrogance in Kratos' voice that made Raine's mouth flood with a bitter taste. The same voice that the night before had whispered words of comfort to her, that had soothed her and excited her. The same voice she had heard in the most intimate of moments, escaping from between parted lips. The same lips that had pressed against hers and trailed down her body. And she suddenly felt tainted…infected with his betrayal.

And that arrogance was what prompted Lloyd to rush forwards with an enraged scream.

Sheena was beside Lloyd in a second, but it was with ease that the angel dropped to his knees and swung his leg out, knocking their feet from beneath them.

With the two fore-field fighters down he charged for Genis who started with fear, losing the concentration of his spell as he let out a cry of fear.

Kratos stopped himself just before he reached Genis, watching the small boy cry out as he rushed towards him. There was no sense in killing this one. He was too weak to be too much of a problem and Kratos brought the pommel of his sword down atop the boy's head, just hard enough to knock him to the ground, leaving him in a semi-conscious state.

He turned to face the other three. Lloyd and Sheena had climbed to their feet, their weapons drawn…but they were panting heavily. Too exhausted by the fight with Remiel to give anything more than a token attempt at a challenge to him.

The only way they could fight, was if they were to be healed.

His gaze snapped to Raine. Her arms were outstretched before her, staff clenched in hands as she chanted to herself, and Kratos felt his stomach lurch. He did not want to bring harm to this woman whom he cared for so deeply. He had seen her face fall when he had revealed his true identity, the way the little colour in her pale cheeks had drained, her eyes filling with the hurt and betrayal. She was unaware he knew, he could tell that from her body language, the anger that she was radiating towards him and he had only tried to increase that for her by ignoring her, the one thing he knew would get her riled up.

Because if she was angry, she wouldn't be hurting as much. Not for a while anyway, not until the adrenaline had worn off, and at least that would give her a little respite from the pain. If he could use these last few moments to make her hate him, he could save her a world of problems…and himself too.

He charged at her nevertheless, knowing her to be too focused on healing the others to care about herself. He had to knock her out, as he had with Genis, make her appear dead…for if his Lord appeared and saw that he had left them alive, he would surely kill them for himself.

He gritted his teeth as he ran for her, pinning his wings at his back, his grasp on his sword tightening. He needed to make one decisive hit, take her out without prolonging this or causing too much damage to her.

He was only a few feet away from her when he felt it, a card slapped against his thigh, heat emanating from it before it exploded against his leg.

It knocked him off course, sending him stumbling to the left, away from Raine and he threw himself into a dive to the right, feet first, trying to get back on track towards her before she could cast that spell.

He could feel his leg burning and blistering even as he skidded towards her, the burning card singeing through clothing and skin and he tore it from himself just as his left foot connected with Raine's ankle.

She fell instantly, the staff dropping from her hands as she threw out her arms to catch herself and it was all he could do to bringing his sword to the right as she fell towards him. The tip still managed to catch her chest a few inches below her left collarbone, and it cut a thin strand through her skin and clothing, blood seeping from the wound.

She was still falling it seemed to him, though he was sure that he was seeing the world in slow motion, for he could see her descending towards him, her slim figure blotting out the light as she fell on top of him.

His leg hit a rock that had been shaken loose from the twisted cords of earth above them, jerking them to a stop and he quickly released his sword, grabbing her forearms and rolling her beneath him, his eyes searching hers.

They were bright with anger and pain, her breath coming in harsh pants. He glanced down to the wound on her chest. Long but superficial, only just bleeding.

It was all he needed to know.

Pushing himself off her he staggered upright, grabbing his sword from the floor and charging for Sheena. He brought her down quickly, slamming her backwards into the wall behind her with the force of his own body, crushing her against it momentarily. Just long enough to make sure the air was driven from her lungs before he pulled away from her and spun to face his last opponent.

Lloyd.

The boy was enraged more than anytime Kratos had seen before. The only thing that could perhaps match the intensity of the anger and hatred in the boy's gaze now was when he had discovered the truth about Anna when Kvar had held them in his ranch.

The younger man charged the older carelessly, and Kratos watched him carefully. His defence was wide open and all it took Kratos to beat him was a sidestep, a turn and a single heavy stroke of his sword to unarm the boy and lift the tip of his blade to his throat.

"…D…damn it!…" Lloyd swore, trembling and Kratos saw that the sleeve of the boy's jacket had been torn open, blood streaking down his arm. It must have happened when he had kicked him down earlier.

He stared down at his son, his own breathing a little heavier than normal as he looked down into the distraught brown eyes. There was fear in there, anger, loathing and betrayal as Kratos lifted his sword above his head, intending to strike the boy down. Lloyd was the one that would cause the most trouble…the others would give up without his determination. He knew his son well enough to know that he would go to the ends of the earth to save Colette. And Kratos _needed _to get her to his lord. There was only one option he could take…

His own son…the last of his line…

He felt himself tremble, his resolve waver and he let out a grunt, disgusted at himself, at his own weakness and cowardice.

There was suddenly light behind him, mana welling in the air, and he could tell who it was simply from the obvious mana signature.

His heart seized and he hoped above all else that they had the sense to play dead.

He turned from Lloyd, watching from the corner of his eye as he stood, staring at the angel that was descending towards them.

Sheathing his sword he knelt down before the angel, panting lightly now, his head hung low.

"I guess not even you could bring yourself to fight against such an opponent…" the angel commented. Kratos growled inwardly, but remained in his submissive posture.

"Lord Yggdrasill."

--

Raine staggered to her feet, holding her chest as she watched Kratos turn from Lloyd and sink into a bow before the man descending towards them.

He was rather tall and slender looking, young and attractive in a pretty way, his long blonde hair hanging in his face and masking one of his cold green eye.

His attire was odd; close fitting material of white and gold...but she found her eyes drawn only to his back and the wings sprouting from them.

The angel was smaller than Kratos surely, but his wings were huge, larger than the other seraph's, so large that they could probably encompass his entire body. Their colour was striking too…deep pinks and purples, the occasional streak of gold passing through them as they fluttered.

It was ultimately a striking look…elegant and graceful, but one Raine would have thought better suited to a woman of power than a man.

Still, from the way Kratos was still hunched before the man, bowing to him, she could only assume he wielded incredible power. Disgust and contempt for her former lover flared inside her. He who pretended to be so powerful, so independent, so uncaring of other people's thoughts and yet here he was in the ultimate position of submission. The only way he could have been more so, would be if he were to strip and lay on his back, prostrate in front of his lord like a cowering animal. He had lied to her about everything he was. Nothing about him was honest or pure except perhaps his devious.

"Lord Yggdrasill." Kratos murmured, his tone neutral as the words escaped his lips from beneath his dark hair.

"Another angel?!" Sheena exclaimed, a hand holding her throat.

The newcomer, Yggdrasill, glanced at her before turning to Lloyd, appraising him in a single glance as he stood beside Kratos, and Raine could see his eyes flicking between the two.

"Are you Lloyd?"

"Give me your name, and I'll give you mine!" Lloyd spat at the blonde.

He laughed good naturedly, a hint of pity running through it, like that of an adult laughing at a child who had just embarrassed them self without realising it.

"…people need not introduce themselves to a dog."

"What did you say?!"

"Fine, I shall tell you my name, wretched human. I am Yggdrasill. Leader of Cruxis…and the Desians!"

Lloyd's eyes widened as the angel lifted a hand, a ball of light forming in its centre and Kratos glanced up sharply from his bow.

Light gathered to Yggdrasill, shining around him as the other dashed forwards to challenge him, Lloyd's swords extended towards him.

Waiting until they had all gathered around him, the leader of Cruxis slammed his hand into the ground.

"Outburst!" He hissed and waves of searing light rose from the ground in an explosion, sending the group flying backwards. Defeated before they had even begun.

Kratos straightened from his crouch, looking over at the four forms splayed out over the floor.

Yggdrasill had risen smoothly as they climbed to their feet, snapping his fingers.

A large sword, purple and gold in colour materialised from a seal set before the higher tier, rising into the air smoothly in front of Yggdrasill as he moved it through the air with simple motions of his hand. A wave of energy burst from it, slamming Lloyd and the others backwards.

Kratos took in the faintest gasp of air as Lloyd was slammed into one of the pillars containing the lights, the top half of it sliding free and into the abyss as he collided with it before falling to the floor.

None of them rose to their feet this time.

Yggdrasill looked over the wounded group, a slow smile making its way onto his face and he turned his head a fraction towards Kratos.

"Kratos, I trust you have no objections."

The former mercenary didn't reply, save for the faintest exhalation. Yggdrasill nodded.

"Farewell."

He lifted his hand towards them, palm facing them with the clear intent to finish them. He never got the chance.

Seconds before the angel managed to summon his mana, a flurry of white lights shot towards him. He dodged them easily, his wings beating and propelling him out of their path.

Kratos watched quietly, his eyes flicking to the figures on the floor that had just been saved. But by who?

He was answered soon enough when the bulky figure of Botta sprinted into view, a handful of his guards flanking him.

"Damn! The Chosen has already become an angel! We have no choice. We're taking her back with us alive!"

The soldiers scurried about at the order, each heading to one of the fallen group, hefting one of them into their arms before running back to their leader, one of them awkwardly guiding Colette back.

Yggdrasill growled, flinging spells at the guards left behind, distracting him from those carrying the Chosen's group away. They fell instantly, but not before their comrades escaped, Botta giving them each a salute before he returned back to his base.

Yggdrasill clenched a fist, glaring at the bodies of the men he had killed.

"…Renegades…as irritating as ever," he breathed, an undercurrent of anger in his cool voice. "Still, it is of little consequence. Kratos, let us leave."

"As you wish." He replied automatically, watching his lord disappear before him. With no-one to look over his shoulder he turned back, looking down at the spots where Lloyd and Raine had lain. They were alive, and that was the important thing. And at least he couldn't cause them anymore harm now. Still…he wondered where they would go from here…

"…saved by the Renegades. Don't die, Lloyd." He closed his eyes, gathering his energy and with a final glance to the room where he had betrayed two of the people he cared for, he returned to Derris-Kharlan, to do as his master bid.

--

Raine sat on the edge of the green sofa, gazing sightlessly at the far wall, her mind churning. She was trying desperately to make sense of it all, categorise events and organise them in sequences, to make a mental record of what had occurred. It was her natural defence against this kind of thing…stay focused on the details of what happened, what they mean, where they'd lead to in practical terms.

But for the first time since she was just a naïve teenage girl she found herself unable to. The fact worried her. Logicality came naturally to her; it was her defence mechanism against the world. It had held fast for twenty three years, only to be shattered in twenty three minutes. And it had taken her entire view of life, of herself, along with it.

Raine was not a person who was predisposed to wallowing in self-pity, or doubting herself. But the fact that this had happen to her twice within ten years was beginning to make her question herself. Surely not every male was a traitorous bastard who intended to build you up and then knock you down? They couldn't be. She had seen men and women…married couples and young sweethearts and all those at different stages of relationships. They had all found happiness with each other… Maybe it was her though? Everyone else managed to find happiness with a partner, but maybe she was just too difficult or too odd. Maybe she was only interested in men who were too good to be true and therefore she would never find her life's mate. Perhaps, in some way, it was for the best.

She sighed inwardly. This train of thought would accomplish nothing except decrease her already distinctly low view of the male population. Not that she could help it.

Her first instinct as a woman with emotional problems was to turn to some sort of confectionary…but there didn't happen to be any when you were stuck in a base, under considerable guard having just been saved from your death.

She shifted, lifting a hand to her hair and tiredly running her hand through it, wincing when the motion pulled on the skin of her chest, stretching the thin blade scratch. She dropped her arm instantly, letting her other hand come up to cradle the wound, her fingertip running along it experimentally beneath her clothes. She hadn't had the opportunity to inspect it, not with Genis and Sheena conscious and in the room, and she was simply too exhausted to heal it. She wondered if it would heal on its own without a scar, or if she was doomed to have his betrayal left as a physical imprint as well as a mental one.

Her head drooped and she allowed her eyes to close, only to find the scene playing itself over in her mind, pushing its way to the forefront despite her efforts to begin organising her thoughts. She really did need to pull herself together before…whatever would happen next happened.

But still…the image of him standing there, silhouetted by the light of his own glowing wings seemed burned into her mind's eye. The way he had attacked all of them…her brother, Sheena, herself…his own son.

If the man was willing to attack him, what chance had she ever had.

She cursed herself. She had managed to see the connection between him and Lloyd almost instantaneously, though she had been careful to collect evidence before going off on a tangent…but why had she not been able to see his true motives? She had had her suspicions to begin with, but had quickly disregarded those, deciding to trust the man who controlled her safety. Perhaps a wise move overall, one would think, but she should have remained vigilant, kept a closer eye on him.

The fact that he rarely ate, that she had barely seen him sleep…that should have given it away. The strangely wide variety of knowledge, the intelligence, the skills, the exsphere that he wore. Normal mercenaries didn't have those.

She had let herself become blinded by her feelings for him, taken comfort in the feeling of being the centre of someone's affection once again. She knew she shouldn't have allowed it. Life had taught her that people couldn't be trusted, and she ignored her own advice.

And now she was paying for it. Never again would she doubt herself. Never again would she let herself fall for a man. They couldn't be trusted. Callous, dense, senseless spineless creatures. It was no wonder that their world was ruled by a Goddess. If they were governed by a god they'd be in even more trouble.

Thinking back to what that Yggdrasill had said though…that would make sense. If he was somehow in control of the world, that would explain its tragic state.

Sighing softly to herself, she leaned back, trying to ignore the pain aching in her chest. If it was physical she would've been able to deal with it. But the anger and hurt inside…that wasn't so easy to ignore. Hatred refused to be ignored. Pain refused to be eased. Anger refused to be quelled.

It was a fire that she would have to let burn out on its own…but it seemed it would be a long time until the roaring blaze came to nothing more than dull embers. Not unless she could find something to quell it, and she only hoped that she wouldn't come across something that would stoke its searing flames again.

As long as she didn't see him again, which was unlikely, she would manage it. She wouldn't let him beat her. Not this time, not at this.

She longed for the shocked numbness she had felt in the tower.

Once, she had heard a quote that she thought was potentially true at the time. _'I'd rather feel pain that nothing at all.'_ It had seemed true, for how could anything be worse that not feeling anything at all? Now she knew, and figured that the person who had made such an emotive comment, was an utter imbecile who had obviously never suffered a betrayal of the heart.

_Betrayal of the heart?_

Was that was this really was? It couldn't be, surely? She was not in love with him, that she was certain of. Because if she were, the stinging in her heart would be a thousand times more, burning a thousand times brighter.

'_Anger and agony are better than misery…'_

They really didn't know what they were talking about, did they?

--

Hours dragged by monotonously, and Raine was all but about to lose her mind to boredom when Lloyd finally awoke.

He grunted as he sat upright, stiff and sore as they all were from the fight no doubt, but he had taken considerably more of a beating that the rest of them.

Genis was rushing over to him instantly. "Lloyd, you're finally awake!"

The teen grunted in response, lifting a hand to what must have been a pounding headache as he looked about the room they were being held in.

"Ugh…where are we? Where's Colette?!"

He jerked up from the bed, staggering upright and heading straight for the girl who stood in the centre of the room. She had been there for the past few hours and had not made any movements save for the occasional blink or the slow rise and fall of her chest.

"…She doesn't respond to anything we say." Sheena informed him quietly, looking over at the boy sadly, one hand holding her bruised hip. She and Genis had spent sometime trying to rouse Colette into response, though they had never got any in return, and had eventually turned to Raine. She had been equally as quiet, though a little more responsive, and they wondered if it was to do with more than just Colette's condition.

"…Damn it!" Lloyd swore quietly, and Raine lifted her head to look at him. The pain and guilt in his eyes was blatant as he looked at her, but she could see the anger and confusion over the events that had occurred burning behind the hurt.

Did Kratos have any idea what he had done to his son? Did he even care?

She didn't know, but she knew that if Lloyd was going through even a fraction of the emotions she was going through then he was going to be having an incredibly difficult time ahead of him. And he didn't have the emotional maturity to deal with it. The only thing to do was to distract him.

"Lloyd, do you remember this place? We're in Triet Desert. Remember? This is the base where you were captured before."

"…The Desian Base?!" He turned to her, eyes wide, then narrowing in anger. Sheena scoffed quietly.

"These guys aren't Desians."

"What? What do you mean?"

The poor boy was so confused. Not that Raine could blame him for that. Genis looked up from where he was sitting.

"So many things happened at once…I'm confused, too." He admitted sheepishly.

Raine nodded, standing up decisively. "Then why don't we go over everything we know about the situation as it stands now. First, our current situation."

She was met with nods of agreement and she found herself finally able to put her thoughts into order, now that she had someone to lead and guide them with, or even just voice them to. Yesterday, that person would have been Kratos and she had to force the thought of him from her mind just to focus on what she was saying. The anger that accompanied that name was unsettling.

"When we were about to be killed in the Tower of Salvation, we were rescued by the organization on this base that resembles the Desians. They call themselves the Renegades."

Lloyd looked utterly baffled in response to the information.

"Uh, so what you're saying is that the people here are called Renegades and not Desians? Ok, I really don't get it, but go on."

"It seems that the Renegades oppose the Desians. They probably have a reason for intentionally trying to look like Desians."

"All right, I think I get it now," Lloyd mused "So then who was that angel guy…Yggdrasill, or whatever? And what about Kratos?…"

Raine bit her lip for a second at the mention of his name and she lifted her hand to toy with her lower lip, trying to calm the surge of anger without betraying it to the rest of them.

"Do you remember Yggdrasill's words? This is just pure conjecture, but Cruxis, holy beings worshipped by the Church of Martel, and the Desians may in fact be the same organization."

Lloyd, understandably, floundered instantly at the notion, questioning just how something that big could be hidden from the world's knowledge…how it could even be possible in the first place.

Rain gently hushed the boy before continuing to explain, piecing together all the tidbits of information she had gathered over the course of the journey, assembling them carefully within her mind as if it were a giant jigsaw puzzle. And she finally had enough pieces to see the outline of the bigger picture, the information Genis provided falling into place easily.

"If the Desians and Cruxis are the same, well then what about Kratos?" Lloyd questioned, not noticing the way Raine flinched at the name. "He obeyed Yggdrasill's orders. That means…"

"…That's right, he's our enemy!" Sheena spat. "He deceived us! He admitted it himself. He's one of Cruxis' Four Seraphim!"

Raine turned her head aside under the pretence of checking on Colette. "Kratos is likely a subordinate of Yggdrasill," she recalled briefly the sight of Kratos falling to his knees, bowing to the white clad angel, through pain dulled eyes. "He probably joined us to make sure Colette didn't stray from the journey to regenerate the world."

The fact that she had remembered his words just before they had climbed onto the dragons, the words that he had said two months or more ago echoed in her mind once again, and she couldn't believe how blind, how stupid she had been to trust him.

"…So we were deceived from the very beginning. By Remiel, the Cruxis, even Kratos!"

Raine would've given the boy a verbal confirmation to his comment had a renegade soldier not decided to walk in at that moment, informing them that his leader wished to speak with them.

In silence they turned and walked through the door, following the guard into the adjoining room, a luxuriously decorated office. Colette followed them automatically, though she had made no sign of noticing the presence of the guard…or even them.

A number of renegade soldiers stood around the room in various positions, forming a wide circle around the group and the two men standing just in front of a wooden desk. One of them Raine recognised instantly as Botta, the man who had saved them along with his guards. But he was flanking another man, one she didn't recognise.

He was rather slenderly built, tall but slim like a rapier and probably deceptively strong. He had some of the oddest colouring she had ever seen on a person too.

From the mana he was exuding, it was fairly easy to tell that he was a half-elf, but even they rarely had such striking appearances. His hair was potentially the richest shade of electric blue she had ever seen, though it possessed an almost metallic sheen to it…but it was the eyes that contrasted to that hair so well that caught her attention. Bright green, intelligent and sly, set within a face that possessed subtly masculine and feminine qualities. At first look, one would probably call him pretty, but a second's more inspection would yield the harder, angled lines of the male countenance.

He looked over at her briefly as his eyes roved over the group, lifting one when he met her inquisitive gaze. He cocked his head to the side slightly, as if considering or remembering something before a slow subtle smile spread across his lips.

She averted his gaze from him quickly to look at Lloyd. There was definite recognition on his face as he stared at the half-elf.

"You're finally awake." He commented, finally getting underway after the sizing up.

"Are you…the Renegades?" Lloyd questioned.

"Correct. We're an underground resistance dedicated to fighting the Desians…or rather, the Cruxis."

Raine frowned as she looked at this leader, the discussion filing itself automatically in her mind. There was something about this man that was unsettling. He reminded her of someone else…though she could not pinpoint what it was that was familiar about him, and so could not remember who he reminded her of. She had a distinct sense however, that it was the person she didn't want to think about. It put her instantly on edge and she drew her attention back to the conversation.

"Do you intend to have us explain everything?" the leader snapped at another of Lloyd's questions "How about using your own head a little?"

"Do they wish to revive the Goddess Martel?" She asked, piecing the information together once more. "They send oracles to those of the mana lineage and control their marriages to create Chosens who become the vessel. It seems meaninglessly drawn out and complicated."

"Well, well. I am impressed." Botta commented, and she just caught the subtle nod and flicker of a smile from his leader.

"There is another world beyond Sylvarant that competes for mana." The renegade leader informed the group, and his attention seemed to have been drawn back to Lloyd again, as if Raine's presence was a trivial amusement. Everyone else, on the other hand, was ignored completely.

"Tethe'alla." Lloyd answered instantly, knowing an answer for once.

"Yes. And the one who created this twisted world was Cruxis' leader, Yggdrasill."

Raine instantly lifted an eyebrow at the comment. This leader had seemed such a sane and rational man…and now he comes out with a notion like that? She didn't believe him for an instant, but knew better than to voice her opinion in such a dangerous position. Genis, on the other hand, didn't.

"Create a world? That's ridiculous! No one can do that!"

"If that's what you believe, then our conversation ends here." He turned and walked away, clearly making his point and heading for the door…until Lloyd called out to him.

" …Wait. If Yggdrasill was the one that created the two worlds himself, what can you possibly hope to do against someone like that? And that's not all. You tried to kill Colette and me. You're certainly not on our side. Yet for some reason, you saved us. Why?"

"…You're not as stupid as you seem."

Raine rolled her eyes as Lloyd began to protest at the man's comment and switched her attention to Botta as he cut in to inform them of the situation. She kept an eye on him however, watching the way he would glance between Lloyd and Colette. Her instinct proved to be right when the guards suddenly rushed in, forming a closed circle around them.

"What we need is you, Lloyd Irving!"

"…Me?! What's so special about me?"

"That's none of your concern!" the leader turned to his guards. "Get him!"

He turned himself, striding towards Lloyd confidently and Raine held her breath, watching him approach the boy. What did they need him for? They wished to bring down Cruxis, but the only connection Lloyd had to them was through Kratos...unless…

Her thoughts were caught short as the man approached Lloyd, a hand reaching for him and the boy lashed out suddenly, placing all his weight on one of his legs and kicking the man in the stomach with the other. Grunting in pain, the man staggered backwards before dropping to his knees, a hand clasped over his stomach. Raine could see blood soaking into the white cloth of his shirt.

"Lord Yuan!" One of the guards exclaimed kneeling next to his lord, only to be pushed away roughly.

"No! It's his wound from Hima!" Botta was at his master's side in a second, the guards clustering around the figure in a protective stance.

But it was only his, Yuan's, words that occupied her attention as he knelt on the floor.

"Kratos…How many times must you get in my way?!"

They knew each other…but how?

She shoved the question to the back of her mind, aware that it could wait. For now, they had to get out of here, and with the guard's distracted by Yuan's injury, it was the perfect opportunity. She broke away from the rest of the group, heading for the doors, aware that Genis and Sheena followed her lead.

She was already out the door when she heard Sheena call to Lloyd and a moment later he appeared beside her. They dashed away, Sheena deploying Corrine to distract the guards for a moment whilst they made a mad dash through the facility, searching for an escape route.

Eventually, after making their way down a series of corridors and through a rather bizarre room that had ceased their progress for at least ten minutes, they came into a large room, a machine in the middle and they quickly slid down into the pit surrounding it to hide from the guards.

They needed to rest desperately. The three fights earlier had taken their toll on the group and the Renegade's had not healed them. They had had a few hours respite in that room, waiting for Lloyd to recover, but the escape had already worn them out again.

They hunkered down in silence, listening to the confused mutterings of the guards as they passed by. They only spoke when it had fallen silent. What were they to do now?

Without the goal of regenerating the world, they were reduced to wandering around. Lost and aimless.

--

They leapt from the pit beside the machine with ease, dashing immediately for the door on the west side of the room. Lloyd had informed them that it lead around to the office areas and the hangar.

They had decided that they only had one choice. To go to Tethe'alla. There, they may be able to find a cure for Colette and for a way to save the world's that were vying for each other's mana. And they knew there to be no more information in the declining world of Sylvarant to help with either task. They had no choice.

Following Lloyd, they burst into the hangar, the machines hovering on a flight pad, and Raine quickly hacked into the computer, releasing them for use.

An alarm suddenly blared in response to her access of the computer and Raine jerked her head up at the sound of the surprised shouts. Three Renegades stood on the walkway above the room and they quickly dashed for the door that would lead them downstairs.

They boarded the Rheiards as quickly as possible, Lloyd pulling Colette onto his so that she clung to his waist as she sat beside him.

"All right, then! Tethe'alla, here we come!" Lloyd cried, and with a rev of the engine, shot into the void between worlds.

* * *

...I forgot to mention Noishe...I always found it weird that Noishe actually goes to Tethe'alla with them...can't really picture him sitting on the back of a Rheiard. And how would he get into the renegade base in the first place?

Ah well..I might put my onw twist on how he gets there in the next chapter. Again, not much to say, just hope the chapter was enjoyable and had enough emotion and stuff.

Please review as always.


	23. A Whole new world

A.N: This would have been up on monday had by internet not decided to crash while I was trying to save all the changes I made to this. Meaning I had to spend another 45 minutes re-reading this and editing it...oh well...

Thanks for reviews as always. And now, a note about the rest of the story: due to the fact Kratos has left the group, the story may take on a slightly different style. That is...I'm going to have to do more of an overview because there's simply too much stuff that isn't related to Kratos and Raine's relationship to write the whole thing out in detail. I think this is going to have a hell of a lot more chapters as it is, without the detail, though I could be wrong. There's also going to be quite a lot of swapping cutting from scene to scene and switching between Raine and Kratos' perspectives so that we can get their thoughts on the situation. Hopefully I can write it well enough that it shouldn't bother you too much.

Anyway...

Enjoy!

* * *

A whole new world

Raine had always thought that the idea of riding Rheiards through a dimensional rift in space was intriguing…but a tad dangerous and if she was honest, not something she was overly keen on. She would've avoided it like the plague if she could've.

Now, as she sat amidst a smouldering pile of twisted metal, she realised why.

Crash landing was a hell of a way to make an entrance into the new world…fortunately they had managed to do so in an area that they were unlikely to be seen in. On the down side, it now meant a rather long, tiring trek down a mountain.

She stood, brushing herself down and looking out over this new world and she took in a deep breath as she stood atop the mountain. She could feel the mana in the air, a rich, unending stream that was a staggering amount compared to that in Sylvarant. No wonder they were so technologically advanced here.

She listened to the children about her discuss the next plan of action. They had already discussed finding a way to refuel the rheiards, apparently the magic of Volt, the summon spirit of lightening, was the only way. With the slight argument about the holy ground being a true version depending on the world they were in over, they had to make a move.

"We should get down this mountain before it gets dark," Raine suggested, turning to Sheena. "What time is it here?"

Sheena looked to the sky. "Late. Look, the sky is beginning to get dark…and I'm exhausted. Maybe we should camp up here tonight? It's summer so it should still be warm."

The rest of the group consented, and with her as the only one who wished to leave as quickly as possible, she agreed quietly, settling down for the night.

It was once the sky had grown dark and they had lit a fire in the centre of the area and all the other had fallen asleep that Raine felt she had a moment to herself to think. She almost wished she didn't, because there was only one thought that assailed her mind and she wanted more than anything to avoid thinking about.

Kratos.

She had so many thoughts, a jumbled and confused mixture of fragments of speech, memories that seemed so distant but had only occurred earlier that same day and an overwhelming clash of emotions. And all were centred around him.

Was anything he had said true? Had he actually cared for her in their time together, or had she just been a distraction for what must have been a tedious journey? Was it a game he played with the puny mortals? Was it one that he had played with Anna? She didn't think so…it seemed the only honest thing about him now but then…she had thought he was being truthful with her all along.

And what was he doing now? Back up at Cruxis was he sitting with his Lord and laughing about her with his friends? Was he repentant? And why…above all else, had he not killed them all?

That was something that was weighing particularly heavily on her mind. He had had no reservations about letting Remiel die and it was obvious that he possessed immense power and he had only used a fraction of it all along, not least against them. But why? Surely they were just in his way…or were they really so insignificant that he thought he needn't bother? Or was he having second thoughts about what he was doing? Was he loathe to harm them because he wanted them to live or because he needed them for some reason and couldn't do what he wanted to out in the open?

And what about Lloyd, his poor son who had no clue who had entered and left his life so quickly? Did he matter to him or was he just the result of a relationship that had ended long ago?

She didn't know the answers for once and lay staring at the fire for some time before she finally managed to fall asleep, her exhaustion, emotional and physical, finally catching up with her.

--

Light woke her. Soft light of the sun that had risen into the sky long ago and Raine lifted a hand, shielding her eyes from it. She wondered vaguely why Kratos hadn't woken them sooner…he usually woke them just after dawn.

The professor pushed herself up, looking around, her sleep addled brain not recognising the area she was in, completely unable to understand the situation. Where was he?

She rubbed her hand across her eyes before stretching, feeling a sharp sting across her chest as she did so, and she looked down to her chest, finding a thin tear in her coat, a thin line of dried blood underneath it. She lifted her eyes to Colette's, finding only a dead, red gaze.

Memories flooded back to her and she suddenly regretted waking. She still felt drained, the emotions that had been fully restored to her with sleep draining away again abruptly. Or at least…any positive emotions. Hatred, pain and sorrow remained, though she found her anger at her former lover had lessened considerably. She wondered if she just didn't care anymore.

"Good morning Raine," Genis greeted, holding out a cup of coffee towards his sister. "How are you feeling?"

Raine thought about the question. How was she feeling? Well she felt that the human race was a waste of space, that all men should be castrated and/or banished from society and that life was suddenly utterly pointless and no-one had any reason to live. Somehow though, she didn't think that was a reasonable answer. She forced a gentle, maternal smile onto her face as she looked at her brother.

"I'm fine, thank you Genis."

--

"We should get a move on." Raine stated, once the group was packed for the day and ready to go.

She took a step towards the path that led down the mountain. "Wow," Genis breathed. "It's our first adventure in Tethe'alla."

"…Genis, this isn't a field trip." She scolded her brother quietly. His eyes widened slightly, the comment sounding so familiar to him and Raine quickly pulled her gaze away from her brother, lest it give something away. It was _exactly _what Kratos used to say to the children when they became too excited about the journey they were undertaking. She cursed herself. Damned mutual intelligibility.

Shaking her head, she let Lloyd and Sheena take the lead, walking down the hill, lost in her own thoughts about the situation. But there were issues pressing on everyone's minds and Raine's comment only brought them to attention.

Genis let out a heavy sigh and Raine turned to him.

"What is it Genis?"

He glanced up at her, blue eyes unsure of whether to bring the man up. Whether Raine was aware or not, whether they had admitted it or not, it didn't take someone of his intellect to see there had been something between his sister and the former mercenary. "Kratos…he had been deceiving us from the very beginning."

Raine bit her lip and turned away. "I had thought there was something strange about him....But in the end I couldn't figure it out in time. I hate myself for being so naive."

Lloyd glared darkly at a passing squirrel at the mention of the seraph's name. "...Damn him! He'll pay for this, I swear."

His gaze caught on Colette in particular as he spat the words out. Raine put a hand to her forehead, suddenly overwhelmed by the weight of the situation, by the intensity of the betrayal she had suffered. Genis caught Raine's subdued reaction.

"Lloyd…" he scolded softly.

It was sometime before the spoke again as they slowly wound their way down the mountain and it was only Raine's voicing of her own thoughts, thoughts which she would rather have kept to herself, that prompted the conversation.

"...Can't believe he was really our enemy..."

Sheena caught it immediately. The defeated tone in Raine's voice, the way her gaze remained focused on the floor.

"Kratos?" she asked softly. Raine nodded.

"Yes...I did think he seemed to know too much, but..."

"As we blindly went ahead with the journey of regeneration, he was just laughing at us the whole time!" Lloyd growled.

Raine bit her lip. She couldn't stand Kratos after the pain and trouble he had caused her and the rest of the group, especially poor Colette who trailed behind them lifelessly but…she knew, foolishly, that part of her probably still remained true to him. It had hurt to hear Lloyd speaking of his father so venomously, and she felt sorry for the man who had found and lost his son again so quickly…she couldn't let Lloyd go on believing that he was that bad a man. Not when she knew the truth.

She hated the part of her that still cared for the traitorous bastard, and she wished it would disappear, leaving things pure and simple.

"I wonder. The things he said...especially...Lloyd. I felt a gentleness in the words he spoke to you."

"Kratos, gentle? You've got to be kidding." Lloyd scoffed.

"...Still, it's true, it's hard to believe that the things he said to us after we saw the Exsphere manufacturing at the Asgard ranch were spoken by a cold-hearted angel of Cruxis." Sheena added, seeing the way the elder woman had pulled her gaze away at Lloyd's comment.

"Then why did he take Colette?"

"…I don't know…" Raine murmured, losing herself to her thoughts again as they continued down the mountain.

--

Tethe'alla, they soon discovered, was quite different from Sylvarant.

The enemies, as they had made their way down the mountain, were for the most part cousin species of their own monsters…slightly bigger, with different colourings and slightly different attack patterns. And a decent challenge compared to those in Sylvarant.

The air was not as clean as it was in Sylvarant, as if industry or something had tainted it slightly, but the land was rich and green, the sky wonderfully blue and cloudless. The landscape was staggering, huge mountains rising out of flat plains without the slightest warning and the sea ever in sight, save for if you were to pass into a wide, flat valley between the mountains. Mana was rich in the air, or so Raine and Genis had informed the group, and the land had an overall feeling of health that Sylvarant had been lacking for the last few centuries. And best of all? No Desians.

Sheena was steering them north-east towards the capital city of Meltokio and the silhouette of the grand city was just about becoming apparent, the sunlight glinting off the peaks and towers of huge buildings that towered high above the large outer walls that guarded the city.

Yet for all the wonder, for all the investigations into cultures, species, environment, history and language, and the multitude of other things that this new world had, Raine found herself utterly uninterested with it all. A fact that was worrying not only her, but also her companions who had questioned her wellbeing several times. Enough times, in fact, for it to become an irritation.

It was as if Kratos had built her up to everything she had ever been before and with his leaving, he had stripped it all away and taken everything she had had previously with him too. She stayed silent as she walked, no one to talk to now, no one understanding her, no one to share her thoughts with.

The city of Meltokio grew ever closer and she looked up to it, her gaze as blank and as dull as that of Colette's.

--

Sheena left them at gates but Raine hardly noticed her passing, only telling her not to say her goodbyes just yet. She had already lost one member of the group for good…she didn't need to lose another one.

They passed into the city of Meltokio without incident for the most part, except for Colette's kicking of a dog that had strolled up to her and the bizarre man that had passed them by a moment later. For now though, they headed for the huge castle up ahead, Genis and Lloyd looking around with interest.

This city was more lively and prosperous than Palmacosta, Asgard and Triet put together. Women dressed in expensive dresses and coated in jewellery strolled around the city, hanging off the arms of their suitors. Men held themselves straight and tall as they passed by, dressed in fine suits, looking well groomed and well cared for. It seemed Meltokio and its people were very prosperous.

So far, the nobles hadn't noticed the small group of what must have been village folks to them wandering around the city, but Raine just knew that it wasn't going to last. After all, nothing was ever straightforward anymore.

All it took was for lifeless Colette to not notice or not to care about walking into the group of richly dressed women ahead and everything was suddenly blown out of proportion. It seemed that the only thing keeping the outraged women calm was the man standing among them.

Raine cast a critical eye over him, knowing his type already. All it took was the surrounding gaggle of girls, the long, well groomed hair, the vain way he fluffed it up and the sickening terminology he used to know exactly what he was going to be like.

He was a tall, slender but well built individual, though he seemed rather average in respect of his build. He was not as tall or well muscled as Kratos, nor as slender and deceptively strong as she knew Yuan and Yggdrasill to be. He did, however, command the attention of his herd of women and he was not an unattractive specimen. He may have been far too pretty for Raine's own taste, should she have been looking at him in that respect, but she could see the attraction in the milk white skin, bright blue eyes and flame red hair.

"Now, now, settle down, my darling hunnies."

_Darling…hunnies._ Oh Goddess, she had found a real player here.

She watched the young man carefully as he addressed Colette, trying not to smirk when she gave him no answer and he looked utterly confused as to why. She only brought herself to play a part in the trivial scene before her when things began to turn nasty, both parties becoming angered by each other. Except that red-headed man who was grinning like an idiot, despite the unfortunate turn of events.

"You're all behaving like children."

The man lifted an eyebrow at her, his eyes running down her appraisingly and she had the sudden urge to slap him. She settled for turning away, ignoring him and he turned back to Colette.

She perhaps would've warned him that Colette was not in the most accepting state of mind at the moment if circumstances were different…but given that he was male and particularly the type of male she had no time for even before she had lost all faith in them…she felt perhaps that Colette could teach him a much needed lesson.

She was proved right when the man made a move to touch the blonde and ended up being grabbed by the arm and hurled into the air. To Raine's astonishment however, he flipped in the air and dropped neatly to his feet as he landed in a crouch, rising from it smoothly and wiping his brow. A look of mild shock was written across otherwise calm features.

"Wow…that…was a surprise," he stated, looking somewhat amused as he strolled casually back towards the group "You certainly startled me, my little angel." He added, throwing a coy smile to the oblivious girl.

"Who…are you?" Lloyd asked, clearly thrown by the man's abilities and attitude.

The red head cast an eye over the boys and took a few steps towards them.

"No offense, but I'm not interested in talking to guys."

"…I hate this guy already." Genis grumbled, glancing up at his sister. She pursed her lips and nodded in agreement.

"Ohhh!" Raine snapped her gaze up at the noise only to find the presumed noble standing in front of her. "What's your name, beautiful?"

Raine lifted an eyebrow. If this excuse for a man thought he had even the vaguest chance of wooing her he was entirely mistaken.

"Give me your name and I'll give you mine."

"Oh, my, you don't know me?" he seemed utterly stunned by the information. "Well, well. I guess I still have a ways to go."

It seemed that he was about to launch into a full formal introduction of himself when his fans suddenly rushed forwards, demanding his attention and he was forced to leave, along with his little harem.

Raine and her companions watched him leave with a stunned silence, but something caught her eye as he left, something that explained his quick reactions to Colette's attack.

"What was that all about?" Lloyd asked, scratching the back of his head as they watched the group fade into the distance.

Genis snorted in distaste. "What an ass! He was grinning like an idiot the entire time. What's wrong with that guy?"

Raine, inclined as she was to agree, hummed distractedly. "…He had an Exsphere on him."

"What?! No way!" Genis exclaimed, staring up at his sister, wide-eyed.

"So that's how he reacted so fast…Just who is that guy?" Lloyd murmured, looking to where the man had disappeared.

"We won't get anywhere by pondering that here," Raine pointed out "Let's get to the castle and sort things out from there."

The boys nodded, leading the way up and Raine took in a breath as they walked. With some idea of what she was doing now, something to focus on, it made it easier to distract herself from her personal problems and she found herself able to, for the moment, push the thoughts to the back of her mind.

--

It was late into the day by the time the party managed to collapse in an inn after the stressful events of the day, and they quickly split themselves into pairs, Lloyd and Genis sharing a room, Raine taking Colette with her to watch over her. Presea, the girl whom had half joined them after helping to get them into the castle to see the currently ill king, was given a room of her own.

Raine guided Colette to one of the beds in the ornately furnished room before wandering over to the window, staring out of it with dull eyes. She couldn't see anything other than the roofs of surrounding buildings from here, but the scant view of the sunset was all she needed at the moment. Something to watch as her mind mulled over events, thoughts and feelings.

Her hand went to her Exsphere, removing it and she passed it from hand to hand absent mindedly, letting her fingers run over its smooth, cool surface occasionally.

So much had occurred today. They had a new member to their group and a new objective: to find Colette.

And that was all. No running around and playing hero to try and save the world. Sylvarant could be put on the backburner for now. Besides, they had no power to help in their current situation.

Tomorrow they would head to this Sybak place, all five of them. Herself, Genis, Lloyd, Colette, Presea and the Chosen of this world. Zelos Wilder.

It was a struggle for Raine not to roll her eyes just thinking about him. So vain and immature. To think, he was probably roughly the same age as her, and yet he acted like a sixteen year old boy. Gods the women he attracted…his attitude towards them, as if they were nothing more than toys to be played with once and then cast aside, like a spoilt child on their birthday. Although, she had the feeling that Zelos' entire life was like one long birthday.

He was held in high esteem, treated as 'special' by all and people longed to be around him. He hadn't worked a day in his life, everything handed to him on a silver platter, people just begging to work for him, to have a smile thrown at them. It was surely an honour for the Chosen to look and smile at you…he was so unlike the Chosen of Sylvarant. But then…their world was suffering, this world was not. She wondered how long before Sylvarant took on this nature.

Gods, she longed for things to be less complicated. Normally, she would've relished something to tax her…but her intelligence, not her patience or strength. Her emotions were off the radar and she was barely keeping them in check in front of the group now. The stress of the day had built up insider her so much, that she could feel it physically clamping around her heart, could feel it lying heavy in her gut and she just wanted a way to let it all out. It would be so much easier not to deal with the world and all its people, so much more convenient to just shut yourself away and never have to be seen by another person again. She longed for solitude…the kind of solitude that only escape to somewhere remote could bring.

She wanted to find somewhere she could let all this pent up stress out without being noticed. To be able to stand and scream for as long as she needed to, just to ease the worry in her chest, just to soothe the pressure she knew was building behind her eyes. It was the one thing she couldn't have. The only other way she knew to let these emotions out was to cry…and that she refused to do.

She would not bow and cower under the emotions that _he _had forced upon her. She had promised herself that she would be strong, that she would bend to the will of no man ever again, and he was no different. Why should he be, after all he had done to her? She refused to crumble under the pressure and weight he had dumped upon her shoulders. She refused to admit defeat.

If there was one thing she would do, it would be to see that through to the very end. She would stand tall and prove that even he, an angel of Cruxis, could not bend or break her. She was Raine Sage. She knew her value, her worth in this world without someone telling her what it was and she needed no man to rely upon for strength.

She had made that mistake before, by letting herself grow close to him. Letting him be the one she showed her emotions to, voiced her concerns to…that was her mistake. She could not voice her thoughts to anyone anymore, so she would keep them to herself, bear the burden on her own and she would thrive under it.

--

He stared out at the moon blankly, perched atop the highest branches of the trees and savouring the peaceful silence.

Moonlight reflected off the polished silver of his sword as it lay across his knees and he ran a careful finger down the blade, knowing the injuries it had committed, the pain that it had caused and the people it had hurt.

From beneath him a low howl caught his attention and he shifted, looking down to the base of the tree and finding the white and green shape he had been longing to see standing below. With the faintest smile he stood, releasing shimmering blue wings and allowing himself to gently descend to the bottom of the tree.

He was greeted warmly as his feet touched the floor.

"Noishe," Kratos murmured, putting his hand out to stroke at the dogs muzzle "I must take you to Tethe'alla. Lloyd needs someone to keep an eye on him, and under Lord Yggdrasill's orders, I cannot do so freely. You must go in my stead."

The creature let out a soft whine, nuzzling against the seraph's hand as if signifying he was more than happy to help. With a nod, the seraph turned and sprinted from the forest, aware of his companion running beside him, keeping pace easily. There was only one point at which they could cross the dimensional rift and Kratos let his wings unfurl from his back, propelling himself from the ground. He skimmed over the earth before pulling himself higher into the crisp night air. Noishe galloped along beneath him, fleet as the angel soaring above him effortlessly.

They flew far, passing through and over fields, breezing by mountains and valleys, skimming past lakes and rivers until they came to the sea. The seraph swooped lower, urging the dog on, watching as the animal leapt forwards, immersing himself in the salty water, making for the tower that stood at the centre of the world.

--

It was a rough landing on both accounts as they tumbled from the sky, Kratos' wings unable to take the strain of carrying the dog far from the portal where they had entered the world of Tethe'alla.

The man quickly stood, brushing himself off and finding themselves somewhere on the outskirts of Meltokio's region.

"Head to Meltokio and wait for Lloyd outside the city's gates. He'll find you there and you must go with him as far as you can."

The dog yipped before bounding off for the aforementioned city. Kratos watched him go before launching himself into the air once again, plunging upwards into the clouds in the atmosphere, feeling moisture clinging to his clothing as he passed through the layers of fog.

He wondered what he was to do now. Yggdrasill had had few orders for him for the moment, which was fortunate given the state Kratos currently found himself in. He had his own issues to deal with. True, he had some objectives he had to complete but he needed to do some research and find some leads on the subject before he could start. He could be doing that right now but he found himself skimming aimlessly through the clouds. Probably not the best idea but he was in need of somewhere he could be alone for the moment and have some uninterrupted time to think. His quarters back at Cruxis' base were not the optimum place for that with messengers banging on his door every few minutes. And who would find him up here, floating through the night's sky?

A perfect place for solitude.

The only problem was…he didn't really want to think. Because he knew the second he did, the issues he didn't want to confront would rise up in front of him.

Like the one he was sending Noishe off to.

Lloyd.

He was aware that his son had crossed the gap between worlds after the Renegades had rescued him, taking some of their Rheiards but…Lloyd had managed to get away from them and was now roaming around Tethe'alla. He had to wonder what exactly the boy's plan was. To rescue Colette somehow no doubt, though there was very little chance of him being able to reverse the toxicosis. He wondered if he would get bored with the quest, like he had so many others, despite the fact it was his best friend who was in need of help. This quest would likely not be as thrilling as the other.

Still, the boy had heart. Perhaps he could do it.

Of course, as Kratos flitted among clouds, his body all but immune to the cold of the moisture in his clothes, his son was not the only thought in mind. One way another, it came back to the poor young woman he had led along so callously. As things had progressed, her gaze had not left him once and that gaze almost physically scorched him.

Disgust had passed over her fine features when he had revealed his wings and it made him ashamed of the appendages that were powering him through the air. He had dealt her blow after blow, emotional and physical and though he knew the woman was strong, he wondered what he current state was.

Was she hurt and lonely? Sorrowfully replaying the situation in mind over and over again. Or did she merely resent him? Did anger and hatred stop her from caring about the relationship that they had lost? Did she curse his name with hatred rather than cry it with mourning?

Was she stood at her window staring out into the night, mulling over the situation as she had before? Her mind clicking things into categories, rationalising them and coming to terms with the situation, allowing her to carry on unaffected.

He half hoped that it was the former, that she was hurt and longing for him. He knew it was selfish and he was disgusted at himself for it, but part of him could not bear the thought of her hating him, of never wanting to see him again. He couldn't blame her if she didn't…but he half hoped otherwise.

But he half hoped that it was the case, too. How could he wish for someone he cared for to suffer? He was not a man who would wish pain upon those who didn't deserve it, never mind someone he had grown close to. He hoped that she raged against him. It would show him she still had the strength and courage to continue on without him, to hold her head high and carry on as she always had. It was that element within her that he had admired.

Angling down now, he emerged from the clouds, finding the soft yellow lights of Meltokio gleaming in the darkness before him, the magnificent castle that stood at the head of the city illuminated by warm spotlights that showed off its magnificent architecture, whether there be sun or moon in the sky.

It was a city he hated, but he could see the appeal to those who didn't know the truth about poverty and power struggles, the facetious nobles and high nosed royalty, not mention the pathetic excuse for a Chosen that dwelt in the city.

Nevertheless he was drawn to the outer walls and he perched atop one of them, looking down at the streets below, wondering just where the little group he led for so long was now and his eyes slid to the main inn. One of the windows was propped open, shutters flat against the walls, despite the dark hour and he could just make out a shadow sliding across the floor. A moment later its owner slid into view and Kratos flinched back as the familiar orange coat passed by the window. So that's where they were.

Sliding back into the shadows he ensured that she couldn't see him and watched her quietly from a distance, guilt gnawing at him as he did.

He really shouldn't be spying on her…but perhaps a quick check would settle his mind. If he could prove to himself that she was fine without him, perhaps he would stop worrying for the woman. From the way she seemed to be wandering around the room, however, she seemed not to be fine at all. In fact, she seemed rather distressed. He sighed. There was nothing he could do to aid her at the moment, and watching her from a distance was not easing his conscious any. He made the decision to leave…

But he felt he had better stay for a few minutes…just to be sure she was ok.

--

Minutes had somehow turned into hours, and when Raine finally wandered over to the window to close the shutters, Kratos found his legs to be stiff, his muscles cramped from the amount of time he had spent crouching.

Gritting his teeth he rose to his feet, stretching his legs before releasing his wings and looking up into the dark sky. They were already in the early hours of the morning, perhaps two or three o'clock and the seraph shook his head. She shouldn't be staying up so late when they had a journey ahead of them…though what exactly they were planning to do, he didn't know. He made a mental note to keep an eye on them and discover what they planned to do within the next week or so…that shouldn't interfere with his own plans _too _much. But…he had better get a start on that too.

Stepping up onto the gate archway that stood at the front of the city he leapt up into the air, allowing the currents to carry him away, back to the Cruxis' base.

But as body flew away, the mind remained on the woman sleeping in Meltokio.

--

Morning broke over Tethe'alla with a brilliant display of colour, though most weren't conscious to see its glorious beginning, but the pleasant weather that followed put most of the citizens of the world in good spirit. Few could stay upset when the day was so pleasant, so full of promise.

Raine, however, had never been one to follow the crowd and as she stepped outside the inn with Lloyd, Colette and Genis, her mood was less than enthusiastic. Staying up until the early hours of the morning wondering about what was about to occur in the days ahead, under the powers of a strange new world was not conducive to a good night's rest and therefore, a sunny disposition.

Not that having been betrayed and almost killed by your mercenary lover turned seraph overlord two days earlier was either…but Raine was not about to admit that the latter reason was the main one. Or a reason at all for that matter. No, as far as she was concerned Kratos' betrayal was nothing more than an unfortunate bump in their journey…or at least, in the presence of other people it was.

Nevertheless, good mood or not, the world went on regardless of an individual's status and it stopped for no-one. Not even the hero, Mithos, was that privileged.

Heaving heavy sighs, the group gathered outside the inn, Presea trailing along listlessly behind them, not unlike Colette and they slowly made their way to the highest tier of the city. To the Martel Cathedral to be precise, where the Chosen of Tethe'alla was waiting for them.

The cathedral was large, but dim, dank and dusty when they entered, and the candles at the far end of the room burnt the dust's particles sending an unpleasant musty almost sulphuric smell into the air. Genis coughed loudly before turning to the pink-haired girl trailing behind the group, trying desperately to make conversation with her as they approached the red-headed man standing at the altar.

Presea remained oblivious to Genis and the boy eventually relinquished, rejoining Lloyd at the front. The Chosen turned around just as Lloyd reached him, apparently having heard him approach.

"Yo, Lloyd! You're finally here." He exclaimed as he saw the younger man, grinning wildly as he greeted him.

Lloyd lifted an eyebrow "Ah…Zelos, right?"

The red head smirked and nodded. "Yep yep. I am the great Zelos Wilder. But you can just call me Zelos."

Raine shook her head and sighed inwardly. If he was going to be like this all the time he was going to become insufferable very quickly, a sentiment a Genis shared. Still, he was the chosen of Tethe'alla and one of the most influential people in this world. If they could get him on their side, he would be extremely useful.

"Let's see, putting aside the two guys…" Zelos wandered over to the group, heading straight for the professor. "This gorgeous beauty is Raine, right?" Raine nodded briefly before turning her head away from interesting. She sound that currently, if it had a penis and it wasn't Lloyd or Genis, she really didn't want to associate with it. "And then this cool cutie here would be Colette. And then who's this little one?"

"Presea," Genis informed the other male quickly "She helped us sneak into the castle." He turned and smiled at the girl. She stared back blankly.

"The little one isn't from Sylvarant?"

"…Ozette." She murmured, the first thing she had said all morning.

Raine looked up at Zelos as he suddenly made an exclamation of distaste, apparently not liking the fact thar Presea was from some village out in the forest. She listened half-heartedly to the conversation, only paying attention to the elements that were important. Such as the fact that Zelos had managed to be useful and got them permission from the king to use the imperial research academy.

"Going to the Imperial Research Academy is fine, but can we have you free Presea? Surely you don't need to keep tabs on her as well."

"No. The Imperial Research Academy and Ozette are both on the continent across the sea. So we can just drop her off when we go"

"I…I agree! That's a great idea!!" Such enthusiasm from the boy, such a sudden change of heart considering a moment ago he was making scathing remarks to the older male. Raine only hoped that her brother would be more successful with his love life…and that he would have a better judge of character than her. That he wouldn't have to suffer like she…

She shook her head, dragging herself back to the conversation.

"To Sybak. It's on the other side of the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge. It's northeast of here." Zelos answered a question that had been put to him, flicking a long strand of red hair from his face.

They turned and left promptly, Zelos at the front with Lloyd, waving madly to girls that he passed in the street, all of them staring at him and wondering just where he was going off to with the odd group. Raine rubbed a hand over her brow. They didn't need this attention being brought to them.

Fortunately, the walk to the city gates was not a long one and they quickly left the streets and crowds behind, passing out into open green fields that stretched for miles, edged by mountains or sea. It was when they were about half an hours walk from the city that they got a sample of just how good a warrior Zelos was. Or wasn't, as the case may be.

One moment Zelos had been striding along at the front of the group with Lloyd, telling him about the wonders of Meltokio life, the next he had been pinned to the floor by a snarling green and white dog.

"Noishe!" Lloyd exclaimed, rushing towards the animal a huge grin on his face. Raine frowned. How had he managed to get into Tethe'alla? Noishe was indeed an unusual animal…but there was no way he could have got here on his own.

"Noishe, get off him! Zelos is with us, he's a friend!" Lloyd shouted at the dog. Noishe looked down at the man pinned beneath his paws, leaning down to sniff at him briefly before pulling away and trotting to Lloyd's side.

Zelos staggered to his feet, looking a little red in the face. "What in hell is that thing?!"

"He's not a _thing_," Lloyd countered "This is Noishe, he's my pet dog."

"Weird looking dog," Lloyd shrugged. "So what, you're telling me that you brought your pet through the void between worlds?"

The younger swordsman shook his head. "No...he wasn't with us when we went to the tower of Salvation…we couldn't get him on a dragon and he wasn't with us in the renegade base either."

"He got here on his own?"

"Yeah…which is weird. But hey, I always said Noishe was a special animal."

Raine lifted an eyebrow. Just how had Noishe gotten over here? There was no one she knew who could have helped him over…but for now, there was no way to know. She pushed the idea to the back of her mind.

"Odd as it may be, he's here now and we have a job to do. Let's worry about how and why this happened later. Maybe we'll eventually find an answer."

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, we need to focus on helping Colette first."

With the issue of Noishe's odd arrival put on hold for the moment, they turned and headed for the Grand Tethe'alla bridge, relying on Zelos to guide them there.

Along the way they got a chance to learn much about Tethe'alla…and their new companions. Zelos was not a man who savoured silence and their trip was filled with the sound of his voice, which he himself seemed to appreciate more than anyone else.

The Chosen of Tethe'alla was rather loud and outgoing, a bright, friendly and lively personality but Raine wondered how much of that was bred into him as a noble, and how much was actually him. The way he had flirted with every woman who had passed him by in town, not to mention the way he kept flirting with the females he was travelling with, whom studiously ignored him, was going to wear thin on Raine eventually. For the moment, however, she could deal with him, besides, he was proving to be useful for the moment.

Presea, on the other hand was more than his exact opposite. She was silent for the duration of their trips, lacked an interest in anything and most certainly didn't provide them with information. The only difference between her and Colette was that she wasn't soulless. Or at least, not that they knew of.

It took a few hours to reach the bridge, its black silhouette becoming gradually clearer…but even when they were right up close the far reaches of its walkway were indistinct.

"Whoa! That's a huge bridge!" Lloyd gasped, running up onto the stone steps to peer down its length. Zelos grinned.

"Listen and be amazed, bumpkins. This is the greatest drawbridge in the world. It connects the continents of Altamira and Fooji. Its control system incorporates 3,000 Exspheres." He made a flourish with his hands towards the huge bridge, obviously proud by the gargantuan achievement, obviously unaware of the gargantuan death rate, the scale of lives that had been lost just to create this piece of machinery.

"Three thousand…" Genis whispered, tears building in the corner of blue eyes. He quickly turned his head from Zelos, memories of Marble obviously playing through his mind.

"Three thousand…human lives…" Lloyd murmured, his hand shifting to rest atop his own exsphere.

Zelos looked at the group assembled before him, the way they refused to meet his eyes, the way sorrow was etched on their faces and he shot a confused look to Presea, wondering what was wrong with the people from Sylvarant. The pink haired girl ignored him of course and after a few moments of silent, he felt inclined to find out just what was going on.

"What? What's wrong? What's with those faces?"

Raine lifted her eyes to meet Zelos' gaze and sighed heavily. "I suppose we'd better tell you."

With a hand gesture, Raine guided Zelos to one side, explaining the nature of exspheres to him quietly. The children wouldn't need a reminder…it was obviously still too apparent in their minds, especially with their personal losses connected so closely. Presea looked over her gaze dull as she listened, though no emotion crossed her pretty face. Zelos on the other hand let an expression of vague distress cross his empathetic features.

"…That's a pretty sobering story. Is that really true?"

"Do you think we'd make up something like that?!" Lloyd snapped at the Tethe'allan as he and Raine approached the rest of the group. Presea gave no response, as always, despite Genis' gaze on her.

"Oh, well, even so, it's not like the dead are going to come back to life at this point. It's always best to look on the bright side of things!"

Raine let disbelief cross her face briefly before shaking her head. How could someone be so carefree about such a huge piece of information…even Kratos had understood their need for comfort after learning about that and Zelos should have the courtesy to think of the lost lives for at least a minute. Still...he was right…they couldn't always dwell on the issues that would hold them back from their goal but she couldn't tell whether he was a positive thinker or whether he just didn't care about anything.

Lloyd glared at the older man for a moment before pushing past his discomfort, making use of the Chosen. Raine found herself proud of him that he hadn't lost his temper over it.

"Since we're on the subject, you and Presea both have Exspheres, too. Does everyone have an Exsphere in this world? It didn't sound like it from the way Sheena talked about them."

"Nope. I got this from these guys who call themselves the Renegades. They distributed quite a few of them to Sheena and the Papal Knights and such."

"And Presea?" Genis asked.

"Beats me," Zelos answered shrugging, turning to the girl. "Well, little one?"

The girl ignored him.

"She's so talkative."

"We'd best get a move on anyway." Raine instructed them and Zelos nodded before leading them down the bridge.

Raine tried to keep track of just how long it was as they walked along it, but the span was so great that she simply couldn't keep track. She gave up counting after a thousand steps, hoping that she could perhaps ask Zelos later instead of multiplying the number of steps by the average length of each to get her answer. At the very least, it was a good few miles long and the sea sloshed heavily at its sides.

It was so long, in fact, that when they finally reached the end it was well past midday.

"How long will it take to get to Sybak?" Raine asked as they left the paved area of the bridge, heading out into the fields ahead.

Zelos shrugged. "An hour or so. It'll probably be about three when we get there."

"Then, should we stop here to have lunch before we continue?"

"Oooohhh, now that sounds like a plan, my glamorous beauty."

"…Zelos…can I ask that you kindly refrain from applying such a term to me."

"Um…alright my gorgeous ultra cool beauty."

"I don't want to be called something like that!" She glared at Zelos, a blush creeping over her features. She really wasn't in the mood to be hit on and she found it rather embarrasing.

"Huh? Then 'her Highness'"

"Zelos…can't you come up with something a little more…normal."

Lloyd turned to look back at the adults as Genis set up a fire. "The professor is the professor, what else would she be?"

"Hmmm... Professor... that does have a nice ring to it. The bewitching female teacher...."

Raine rolled her eyes. "Oh fine, whatever. I don't care anymore." She stalked off to join her brother.

"Ok then 'Professor Raine' it is!" He shouted to her, grinning manically.

"Whatever." Raine muttered back, setting a pan of water above the fire.

--

They prepared an ate lunch as quickly as possible, the breakfast they had received from the inn that morning providing enough energy for them to only need a minor top up at lunch. Nevertheless, it still took approximately an hour for them to set off again.

"Whoo…We're going to be cutting this fine. They don't usually let people into the academy after about half past four. We might not make it in time." Zelos commented as he watched Genis heave a pack that was far too big for him onto his back. He didn't offer to help the boy though.

"Then we should put some speed on," Raine replied, stamping out the remains of the fire. "I'd prefer not to be delayed…though if we should be, we can only wait until tomorrow."  
"Well then let's go, Professor Raine!"

They set off again at a brisk pace, making good time for a few miles. Eventually, however, their pace began to slow. The silhouette of the city came into view as it sat upon the coast and they aimed towards it. Raine glanced at the sky, locating the sun. It seemed that they would probably on time, providing they had no interruptions.

It was just their luck, therefore, that a party of bandits decided to attack them at that point. Packs were dumped onto the floor immediately, weapons drawn hastily as they stared down their opponents.

Zelos stepped forwards, hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sheathes sword.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen…is there something that I can help you with?"

A couple of the group snorted. "You can give us all your money and weapons…or die. Either way we get something out of this."

"Well, gents, unfortunately, we're all rather attached to our possessions, finances and lives. So I'm afraid we can't help you either way…besides, the Chosen cannot afford to lose life or fortune."

One of the men, seemingly the leader, stepped forwards. "We know who you are, Chosen One. There's no need for you to drop hints…but I'm afraid we're still going to take everything you have, despite your position."

"Is that so?" Zelos smirked. Within a second he had his sword drawn, held across his body defensively. The leader laughed quietly. "So the Chosen actually has a backbone. This could be interesting."

They launched into battle a moment later, and Raine dashed forwards, twirling staff in hand to strike at one of the men, knocking him away from Presea. To her own surprise though, the girl had drawn the huge axe she carried and was wielding it expertly.

In a heartbeat, she had cut one of the men down and was searching for her next victim.

The Professor trotted back to the edge of the battle field, calling up a barrier spell to give them all some extra defence, watching Zelos as he fought.

She would have assumed from his rather vain nature that in battle he would cower away from the enemy, terrified of having his so called 'beautiful' face and body scarred. But it seemed that wasn't the case.

He was rather a strong fighter in fact, easily holding his own against the bandits and he was at least as good as Lloyd's current level…potentially better.

There was something about his style though that made her uncomfortable. It seemed familiar, the patterns of movement, the way he moved from one position and figure to the next. He didn't seem as…strong, as dynamic as the style she was thinking of, for her threw in spins and fleckles…various moves that turned the fight into a dangerous dance.

It was only when he threw himself forwards though, with a cry of "Sonic thrust!" that she realised who he reminded her of.

She released the spell, feeling a uneasy at the revelation and she was glad when they finally struck the last man down.

Almost wordlessly, they gathered themselves and their items together and continued onto Sybak.

* * *

Right... It's _done. _Hope you all enjoyed it.

Reviews greatly appreciated as always.


	24. Return

A.N: Big apologies for the delay in updating this chapter. I've been all but buried with assignments and revision for exams, one of which is in approximately 12 hours :S

Anyway, thank you for the reviews I've recieved and hope this chapter satisfies.

Enjoy!

* * *

Return

Sybak was a bustling city situated on the coast of the continent of Altamira and had been solely developed for the purpose of housing the students, lecturers and scholars that attended the local research institute. As far as Raine was concerned, had it not been situated on the coast, it would have been her favourite city in the two worlds. With no exceptions. Students milled about the city, chatting or sitting on walls and working on assignments as their tutors stood around discussing the intricate details of whatever it was they were studying at the time.

Other members of the group, however, were less impressed by the city. Not least Lloyd…but even he was contented compared to another.

"I hate…this city… hurry…to Ozette…"

Raine looked down at Presea, finding the girl standing with her arms wrapped about her, a vague expression of distaste on her face. It was the most emotion Raine had seen from her thus far.

"I...I'm sorry, Presea." Genis stuttered. He had been staring around the city with a look of wonder, clearly excited by being in Tethe'alla's intellectual community but the wonder had dropped from his face the second Presea had expressed her opinion.

"Wait just a minute, little one. We'll be done in a jiffy. Right Lloyd?" Zelos answered, already leading them towards the academy.

Lloyd nodded and together they headed for the academy. When they finally reached the institute, however, they encountered a small problem.

"I'm sorry, Chosen one," stated a man standing at the door, looking uncomfortable "but it has passed the admittance curfew. I cannot let you in for today, you shall have to wait until tomorrow morning."

"Excuse me? There should have been word from Meltokio."

"There was, sir, but the institute's policy stands. I cannot allow you inside. Please, return tomorrow."

The Chosen turned back to the group.

"Well, what do you want to do?"

Raine rubbed her temple tiredly. "There's no point in forcing them to let us in. Colette's condition isn't about to change so we may as well stay for the night."

"B...but Raine!" Genis countered "What about Presea? She doesn't want to stay here!"

"Then if it's that much of a problem, we'll camp outside the city, but we can't get in here now. We'll just upset people whose help we need if we force our way in."

"So what's the call, Professor, Lloyd?" Zelos asked, leading them away from the door and the man who was looking at them apologetically.

"We find somewhere to rest for the night," Raine answered, before turning to the small girl who stood silently at the back of the group. "Presea, will you stay in the city with us tonight if we find an inn?"

The girl didn't answer immediately, but eventually nodded slightly.

"T-Thank you Presea, it's really nice of you to let us stay here even though you don't want to." Genis stammered out to her. The girl ignored him before turning and following the adults who were heading back to the main area of the city.

--

The night passed without a fuss though little had occurred. Raine had headed to the local library to read up on some of Tethe'alla's history, Genis, Presea, Lloyd and Colette stayed in the inn whilst Zelos had disappeared for the night to…well, Raine could only guess at what he was doing. The guess was confirmed when he had reappeared the next morning, several scratch marks over the backs of his shoulders and what he called 'hickeys' dotted over his neck and collar bones.

Once the Chosen had showered and changed into a set of clothes that didn't smell like a bar they set out for the academy again. They were granted access immediately and met with a scholar inside who led them to a room and proceeded to explain their Exsphere and Cruxis crystal research.

"Cruxis Crystals are thought to be evolved forms of Exspheres. Both Exspheres and Cruxis Crystals are lifeless beings."

Raine balked, infuriated at the words. "What did you say?!"

"Life…less? What?" Lloyd asked, clearly struggling with the information that contrasted with the evidence they had been provided with back at the Asgard Ranch.

"Lifeless beings." Raine scoffed "How should I put it? …Basically, Exspheres are alive, though not in the same way we are."

"Yes. Both of these crystals are like parasites fusing with other life forms. When this happens, the mana within the body loses balance and goes out of control without a Key Crest."

"So that's why Exspheres without Key Crests turn people into monsters." Genis mused, thinking back to the discovery of Marble, of Clara in their mutated forms.

"Exactly. In other words, since Cruxis Crystals possess the same qualities as Exspheres, we surmise that Colette is suffering from a parasitical infection by the Cruxis Crystal."

"I see. In which case, the ritual of releasing the seals may be promoting the fusion with the Cruxis Crystal." Raine hummed to herself, thinking about the journey of world regeneration. Her thoughts, inevitably, strayed to the end of that journey and she had to drag her attention away from the memories. "Fascinating…" she murmured, trying not to give her sudden shift in mood away to the rest of the group.

"Professor, don't talk like that after all the bad things that keep happening to Colette…"

"Then, if she had a Key Crest, she'd return to normal, right?" Zelos asked, forcing the topic back around to its original purpose. Raine was silently thankful for it.

The researcher nodded, advising them accordingly and after a few moments thought they left. The only problem they had now was to try and find a Key Crest for Colette.

Raine suggested that they head to the library to try and discover any places in Tethe'alla where they could be found. It was fortunate though, that Lloyd became hungry as they were walking and headed over to a pastry stall.

"He never does stop eating." Raine commented off-handedly to Zelos. The man merely grinned.

"Growing boy."

"Professor, over here!"

She spun at the sound of Lloyd's call and found him standing over by a stall selling bric-a-brac, food apparently forgotten about.

The group wandered over and Raine instantly melted at the sight of the stall. Her bad mood from the days gone by seemed to disperse instantly. She smiled to herself, perhaps she was getting over it. Perhaps she had thought she was more interested in Kratos than she actually was.

"It's marvellous! This is just marvellous! Ohhh, this is ancient magitechnology carbon!" she picked up a piece of the material, ignoring the stares from the rest of the group, the comments from Genis.

Lloyd frowned, trying to pull his teacher's attention away from the material. "There! It's a Key Crest!"

"What? You want this piece of junk?" the owner of the stall asked, incredulously. It was quite apparent he didn't know what he had on display.

Raine ignored the entire scene, staring at her find, only letting it go when it was literally pried from her fingers and she was bodily dragged away from the stall and informed they had found a Key Crest and were going to the academy to repair it.

They ended up back in the academy, Lloyd in one of the rooms fixing the Key Crest, the rest of them waiting outside in the main hall.

"I don't see why you couldn't have just left me at the stall," Raine griped "There were some fascinating…"

The door opened suddenly and Lloyd stepped out, the small mount cradled in the palm of his hand.

"I've finished it."

Raine stepped back, giving the boy some room to approach Colette.

"I didn't think I'd be giving you your birthday present like this. I've attached a Key Crest to your necklace. It's late, but it's my present for you…"

He slipped the necklace back around her neck.

"…Colette? Can you hear me?"

There was no response from Colette. She continued staring blankly at the far side of the room and Raine felt her mood plummet. And to think, she had barely acknowledged the fact Lloyd had a key crest…and now she was so disappointed. Guilt crept back into the corners of her mind.

"How is it?" Genis asked tentatively.

"It doesn't seem to work…"

"How about asking Dirk for help?" Raine suggested. Lloyd's step father would surely be able to do something to get Colette back to them.

"But Dirk's in Sylvarant. And the Rheairds are out of fuel…"

"Maybe the people here at the Academy might know of a way." Lloyd suggested.

Zelos stepped forwards immediately, waving his hands in a 'warding off' manner.

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait just a moment! Aren't you forgetting something? I'm here to keep tabs on you! I can't let you go back to Sylvarant!"

"Well then, just come along with us, oh compassionate Chosen One." Lloyd answered, shrugging.

"…What? Are you serious?!"

"You're kind to girls, right?" Raine asked and Genis joined in immediately.

"Yeah, it's to save Colette. You'll keep quiet about it for us, right?"

Raine almost grinned triumphantly as she saw Zelos fold. Men were so easy to manipulate, so long as you had the sticks and carrots to lead them with.

"…Great, how am I supposed to snitch after hearing that?" Zelos folded his arms across his chest, pouting.

"Ok, then all we need now is fuel."

It was as the words left Lloyd's mouth that they heard it, a door open and the soft clink of metal armour. Normally, the fact that there was a soldier nearby wouldn't have worried Raine…but the fact that they were in an academy, hardly a military place, and that they had just asked Zelos to essentially betray his country made her nerves suddenly strike into life. Her fears were only confirmed when a muffled voice filtered through a metal visor.

"Chosen. We heard what you said just now. We hereby declare you and your companions to be traitors attempting to destroy Tethe'alla."

They turned instantly, finding two men standing behind them, clad in green armour and holding large bladed weapons. Zelos snorted.

"Well that was perfect timing, Mr. Papal Knight." He snapped sarcastically, folding his arms over his chest.

"By the Pope's orders. We are to watch you for suspicions of plotting against the throne."

"…Heh. Now that's amusing. I'm the one who's plotting against the throne?"

Raine frowned at Zelos statement, the words catching in her mind despite the rather dire situation that was unfolding around them. What had Zelos meant? Did he know someone who was plotting against the throne?

"Restrain them and take a sample." One of the knights ordered to the other. "Don't touch the angel. If you approach her carelessly, she'll kill you."

The inferior knight nodded and stepped forwards, grabbing Lloyd's forearm. He struggled for a brief second as a needle was plunged into his arm. "Ow! What are you doing?!"

"Criminals undergo biological tests before they are arrested," Zelos explained and at Raine's questioning look, elaborated. "It's because of the caste system here."

Two more knights suddenly entered the room, heading for Raine and Genis, pulling their arms roughly behind their back, pricking fingertips with some needled device that Raine couldn't identify. The thought worried her though. What was the caste system here?

"Some half-elves don't look any different from humans. It's necessary to detect them." Zelos continued, having read the Sylvarant groups' confused looks.

Raine's heart plummeted…

"…S…sir! We found a match!" the knight behind Raine and Genis called to his superior and the guard turned towards them.

"Genis! Professor!" Lloyd shouted, anger, fear and was that…uncertainty in his voice?

"…Half-elves?…Is that true?" Zelos asked, looking taken aback.

Raine thought about what her answer would be for a moment. For her entire life, she had lied to everyone about her race: the townspeople of Iselia, Lloyd, Colette and even Kratos, though she was certain that he had known by her mana signature anyway. Angels could sense that and it was obvious to her now that he had known about it from the beginning. And he had had a relationship with her regardless…at least he wasn't prejudiced.

Now though, the truth was out to everyone. The lie she had told for so long, for fear of her and her brother's lives was shattered in an instant, leaving them vulnerable to human mercy. In Sylvarant, it was easy to get away with…people didn't question what they were told…they had neither the technology nor the gall to do it. And now she was plunged into a situation which was turning downhill at an ever increasing rate. Her stomach trembled with fear…what was about to happen to them? And…what would Lloyd think? Harley had, apparently, mentioned Genis' race before but the boy had never truly believed it. How would he react now, to find out that his teacher and best friend shared the blood of those who had forced his father to kill his mother?

She looked around at the expectant faces, suddenly aware of the pointed tips of her ears, hidden by hair. She caved…there was no way out and she wouldn't grovel and embarrass herself by trying to say otherwise.

"…That's right."

"Raine!" The exclamation, tinged with fear, came from her little brother and she looked to him sadly before shrugging.

"There's no point in trying to hide it now…"

"These pathetic half-elves have engaged in shameless caste deception."

"What did you say?! The Professor and Genis are much better people than you! Who cares if they're half-elves?!"

"I don't know what it's like in your world, but over here, half-elves are at the bottom of the caste system." Zelos explained calmly to Lloyd in stark contrast to the boy' own furious demeanour.

"Half-elves guilty of crimes are all executed without exception." The knight declared.

"That's insane!"

Raine's stomach plummeted further. They were going to be _executed?! _And Tethe'alla thought itself more civilised than the dying world of Sylvarant?

Panic began to flutter in the pit of her stomach, though she held her head high, refusing to let it show as she was lead from the building by a knight, her brother at her side.

Lloyd's cry to them was cut off as the door slammed shut behind them and they were led through the streets of Sybak. People who had previously spoken to her without a problem yesterday was suddenly jeering at her and her brother and anger boiled in veins. Who were they to tell her that she was worthless based purely on her blood? Especially when half her blood was also theirs.

Her thoughts flashed to Genis. He was so young and it was her job, as his older sister, to protect him but there was little she could do now with her arms bound firmly behind her back, her staff slung over the shoulder of one of the knights that shoved her along.

And Lloyd too. What did he think of the situation? What would he make of it…would he rescue them? Would he be unable to get here in time to? Would he and the others be punished for fraternising with the enemy?

She let her head fall a centimetre. Lloyd and the others were being locked away, and there was no hope of rescue from them, meaning they were doomed. After all, who else would try to save them?

Sheena? She didn't know they were in danger, and if she did and she knew why, would she bother?

Walking endlessly now, as the knights pushed them from the city, she let her thoughts circle around. There was no way of her being able to free herself, and there was no chance of rescue. What else was there to do now but consign herself to death? Normally, she would've resisted, she would've fought tooth and nail after all, who were these people to decide whether someone should live or die?

They were as bad as Cruxis, holding the power of life and death in their hands. Just as Kratos had when he had stood over them in the tower of salvation. He could have killed them, yet he had spared their lives. Why?

For whatever reason it was, it was in vain. To think, she had been spared by a supposedly mighty angel of Cruxis, one of the most powerful people to ever have existed and now his decision was being rendered as useless thanks to a stupid law. She wondered what he would think about it.

She knew that she shouldn't be thinking this way. After all he had done, why should she care about what he thought? But if he heard of her death…what would he think? Initially, she assumed that he wouldn't care…but flitters of information, snippets of conversation fluttered through to her. He had saved her, promised her that he would never let anything hurt her…and though she knew everything was a lie, there was part of her that still clung to the belief that he would care. That if he were here, he would swoop in and dispatch these men.

It was the same part of her that had felt sorry for him when Lloyd had spoken about him so venomously, the same part that had lead her to stand at the window the other night, wondering what he was doing and what he was thinking. It was the part of her that longed to be in a relationship, that longed to be kept safe and not have to struggle to survive and she was rapidly coming to a new conclusion.

As much as she hated him, everything he had done and everything he represented…there was a part of her that was still…in love with him. Or…as close to being in love with him as she had come anyway.

Goddess, that was pathetic.

She had often wondered how women who had been in abusive relationships stayed with their partners and defended them beyond all reason. Now, she had an inkling as to why.

No matter what that person had done to make you suffer…they had also made you the happiest you had ever been at one point. How could you completely hate someone whom you knew understood you, perhaps to a level you did not understand yourself? How could you hate somewhere who had actually managed to make you feel flattered by attention, instead of irritated? How could you hate someone who had shared as much of themselves with you as you had with them? He had shown her his weakness, knowing how things would end…he had committed himself to a relationship that he knew was going to end, revealed himself to a woman he knew would eventually hate him. How could every fibre of her being hate someone who had subjected themself to that just because they thought you were worth being with?

It was the only part of him she believed in now…the part that had murdered his lover in order to save her, the part that had searched desperately for his son only to never find him. That much of him was true and as she thought of him more, she thought of the bigger picture.

The man that she had given herself to was not made out of the single components she was thinking of him in, despite her anger. He was not just the traitor, the mercenary, the seraph, the Cruxis overlord or whatever the hell else he was. He was also the father of a wonderful boy, had been the lover of an abused prisoner and experiment, he had been the voice of reason and comfort when no one else could think straight, the one who had saved them countless times, had taught them countless things, had made her feel countless emotions, for good and bad.

And part of her hated him for that, too. How dare he force her into a situation where she was utterly confused? She thought she had got a measure on herself, but she suddenly found that she really didn't. She loved and hated him. She wanted to be back with him, but she couldn't stand him. She saw him as everything he was or ever could be…and she saw him as everything he wasn't.

What was she supposed to do now? How was she supposed to cope with the overwhelming complexity of these emotions? She thought she had loved before Kratos and she thought she had been confused and hurt then but now…now she realised that she knew something of what she had been doing then. Now she didn't have a damn clue and she was in a situation where she couldn't resolve the issue. Or perhaps she was. Death would surely put an end to this.

She lifted her head at the sound of Genis' voice, looking at him.

"Sis?"

His eyes were large and wet, clearly scared of the events that were going to occur in…

She looked around, realising that they had in fact crossed the bridge and were now on the Meltokio side. Looking back to Genis, she approached him quietly, their guards standing about, waiting for the reinforcements to arrive.

"Raine?"

"Yes, Genis?"

"Are…are you ok? You haven't said anything for an hour."

Raine blanched. Here she was, with her terrified twelve year old brother and he was asking about her wellbeing.

"I'm fine. I was merely thinking."  
"How to escape?"

"….Something like that."

"Any ideas?"

She shook her head slowly and saw him drop his own. She knelt down beside him, opening her mouth to offer him words of comfort when…

"Damn they must have escaped!"

The half-elves spun instantly to look at the source of the guard's anger jumping over the top of the raised drawbridge, landing neatly on the path. Raine felt relief flood through her as Lloyd wrenched his swords from their scabbards.

"Give us back our friends!" Lloyd ordered, swords raised into a threatening stance.

"Silence!" One of the guards barked back at the boy. The two others who had been keeping an eye on their captives stepped forwards, flanking their leader…and Lloyd stood against him, his friends behind him, prepared to defend and fight for the half-elves.

They rushed into battle, Lloyd, Colette, Presea, Zelos and…Sheena against the three heavily armoured men. Raine guided Genis to the side of the bridge gently, out of reach of the battle, watching from a safe distance in their defenceless states.

It was not all that much of a competition between the two sides. The guards may have been trained and heavily armoured, but when faced with five strong and agile opponents, each with their own strengths and styles that had to be taken into account, they were left with no chance. It didn't take long for the knights to fall.

"Lloyd! Everyone!" Genis called, rushing towards them as fast as he could in his bound state. Lloyd ran to the boy and quickly cut the ties on his wrists.

"…You came to rescue us." Raine murmured as the boy turned his attention to her bonds.

"Of course! You're our friends!"

"But…we're half-elves." Genis pointed out, letting his head fall as he said it, as if is race was truly something to be ashamed of. Lloyd shrugged nonchalantly.

"So…what's your point?"

"Lloyd!" Genis exclaimed, frustrated by his friend's lack of thought in the matter. Raine, however, smiled at it for once. She knew that nothing would sway the boy when it came to those he considered his friends but…as she looked to the rest of the group…

"What about the Tethe'alla half of our group? Do you mind if we join up with you?"

Sheena smiled. "I'm from Mizuho…We're not exactly mainstream, either. We're not that different."

Raine's gaze slid across to Zelos who stood uncomfortably amongst them, concern on his face.

"…To tell you the truth, I can't say I'm really kosher with this," a thought seemed to strike him even as the words slipped from his mouth and his expression brightened a fraction. "Then again, people have always treated me differently, saying that I'm a descendent of angels. So in a way we're a lot alike."

"I…just want to go home." Presea muttered from the back of the group.

Raine nodded. It seemed that they were accepted, for the moment, and it lifted a weight she didn't know she had been carrying off her. The lie she had been living all her life was suddenly broken, leaving her open and vulnerable. But…she had been accepted despite the lie and the truth.

She smiled lightly as the group discussed what they were going to do now.

"At this point, I'm ok with anything," Lloyd grinned "Now we just need Sheena to form a pact with Volt and we can get those Rheairds working!"

"Volt?!"

The sudden, extreme reaction from Sheena caused the group to shoot questioning looks at her and she blushed profusely under their attentions. It was Presea, surprisingly, who broke the sudden silence.

"…Sheena?"

"Ah…nothing."

Zelos shook his head, diverting the attention from the girl. "Then shouldn't we go get the Rheairds first? Either way, Volt's temple is on the other side of the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge. It'll be faster if we pick up the Rheairds, since the bridge is closed off right now."

"Pick up?" Lloyd asked "How are you planning on moving these things?"

"Heheh, just leave that to me! I prepared a secret weapon just in case something like this happened."

Raine lifted an eyebrow even as Genis probed the chosen for information but Zelos merely waved the question away, walking past them and calling over his shoulder:

"It wouldn't be any fun if I spoiled the surprise! Now let's get going! To the Fooji Mountains!"

--

It was a long rather tiring trek to the Fooji mountains and once the reunited group had made it to the base, they sat down to eat lunch.

Raine rubbed her wrists as she did, trying to dissipate the red marks where the bonds from earlier that day had chaffed the fragile skin. Her skin was chapped and white, flaking off in dead flecks and she frowned at it. Another injury to add to the list of those she had gained from this journey and she let her hand climb to the thin scratch across her chest and shoulder. It had dried out and scabbed over now, but still stung at the gentle pressure she applied to it. She pulled her hand away, not wishing to aggravate it further, though the memory of the pain and a light ache remained in the slender wound.

It was hard to believe that was an injury she had received just three days ago. It seemed a lot further away as she thought about it now.

They ate noisily, a little more relaxed than they had been yesterday, Sheena's reappearance and the beginnings of familiarity between Zelos, Presea and the rest of the group putting them at ease. The memories of that morning were fresh but unheeded for the most part and Raine took the moment to simply enjoy being with people who she now knew accepted her, no matter what she was. And it made her appreciate the moment all the more.

Even Zelos, who had ceased calling her by the infuriating pet names, for now anyway, seemed to be quite comfortable with speaking with her. She wondered though if perhaps it was the revelation of her race that had done that.

"Oh my ultra cool Professor! Another helping?"

…Apparently it wasn't.

After some time they packed the items they had used to make dinner away and began the slow trek up the mountain. It seemed twice as bad going up as it had coming down, presumably since there was more effort involved, although Raine was sure it also had something to do with the fact that they actually noticed what they were doing this time. Slowly but surely they climbed as the sun began to descend towards the horizon.

"Sheena!" Lloyd called to the woman in the middle of the group as he noticed the sun's low position in the sky. "How long will it take to get to the top?"

The ninja looked up, pushing her way to Lloyd's side. "Probably another two hours."

"Won't it be getting kinda dark?"

"Yep. And kinda hard to see where we're going too. It'd probably be better for us to carry on for a bit, then find a place to stay. I think there's a cave a little way ahead of us."

Decision unanimously made they continued up the crumbling, winding paths of the mountain, the incline rising steadily. Eventually they came across the cave that Sheena had mentioned. It was little more than a widened crack but each of the group managed to squeeze their way into the mouth, finding that it opened into a large, dry chamber.

Exhausted from the battles of the day and aware of the encroaching night, the monsters that mulled around the mountain, they quickly fell asleep.

--

Raine stirred.

There was something around…some disturbance in the surroundings that brought her back to consciousness easily. She blinked hastily, sitting up onto her lower legs. She could swear she heard voices just as she awoke…hushed and secretive.

Wiping sleep from her eyes, she looked about the cave. The fire was still burning, though it was dwindling now, and it cast a feeble light in the area. But it was just enough to see by and she quickly scanned the cavern again.

Colette stood in one corner, silent as ever. Lloyd lay near her feet, curled up and sleeping fitfully, hands grasping at the handles of his swords instinctively while his legs kicked fiercely…into Sheena. Credit where it was due, the sleeping woman just rolled away, never once waking at the unintended beating. Presea lay nearby as well, silent as Colette.

As for Genis, he was curled up not far from Raine herself….but there was still one left unaccounted for. One whose bedspread was empty.

Narrowing her eyes she looked towards the entrance. The hushed voices she had heard seemed to have returned and she was sure it wasn't just the wind. There was urgency and meaning in those ghostly tones. Her hand reached for her staff, grasping it firmly and she shifted, wishing that Noishe had been standing guard outside. He may not stop monsters but he wasn't afraid of people.

She cleared her throat quietly…she may well just be overreacting. Paranoia had always been something of an issue for her…and betrayal only worsened the situation. She would give him the benefit of the doubt, just this once.

Besides, who would come halfway up a mountain in the middle of the night to spy on them? And who knew where they were anyway. There had been no witnesses all day, save for the odd brigand here and there and they had all been swiftly dealt with. Perhaps it was just the wind.

"Zelos?"

The voice hushed, before whispering returned for the most fleeting of seconds. A moment later, Zelos was squeezing through the crack, buckling his belt up.

"Hey professor Raine, didn't realise you were awake. To what do I owe the honour of having you wake to focus your attention upon me?"

"…to the person you were speaking with outside."

"Person?" He cocked his head to one side. "No-one there, just little old me, doing ma thing."

"You brought a girl up _here_?!"

"What?! No," he sniggered "be hard pushed to get into Meltokio and coax 'em out now, even for my talents."

"So what were you doing?"

"...answering nature's call." He gestured to his belt.

"Then why did I hear voices?"

"Oh...I was just, y'know…keeping myself company."

"You talk to yourself?"

"Hey what can I say, all those beautiful chicks throwing themselves at me all the time. Even _I'm _bound to go a little crazy under all that attention."

The professor lifted an eyebrow.

"You don't believe me? Well…can't prove the craziness, but I can show the spot that I took a slash at."

"…that's…quite alright Zelos."

He smiled slyly. "Well whatever you want's good, me, I need my beauty sleep…don't want this face to be getting all saggy and tired looking do we?"

Raine remained silent on the subject.

"Goodnight, professor."

With that, he rolled over and, pulling the blanket over him, fell still for the remainder of the night. Suspicious but tired, Raine lay down under her own blanket again, succumbing to sleep until the morning.

--

It was bright and early when they left the cave and after a light breakfast and discussion they continued to climb the mountain. True to Sheena's words yesterday they found themselves only an hour from the top.

Raine sighed deeply, taking in the crisp mountain's morning air. She had slept well despite the minor interruption and her mood was lifted somewhat as her hand strayed to the scrape on her chest. It seemed to have healed a little more and she smiled to herself, her thoughts clearer.

This was their fourth day in Tethe'alla and providing nothing unfortunate happened, they were well on their way to complete their goals…personal and otherwise.

It was as they reached the plateau containing the slightly crumpled and scraped rheiards that Lloyd voiced the question that Raine had been meaning to ask Zelos for some time.

"Hey, Zelos. How are we going to carry these?"

The red head grinned. "Oh, I'll show ya. Come over here for a sec."

Raine and the rest of the group followed cautiously as Lloyd and Zelos bounded ahead, the older man leading them towards a rheiard.

It was as they stepped forwards, following the boys that Raine heard it, a slight buzz and hum in the air before an amber barrier suddenly rose up around them, trapping them. Frowning she tapped at it lightly with her staff and it crackled, almost warningly, in response.

"You've walked right into my trap, fools!" announced a figure that had been hidden behind a rock and Raine glared at the blue haired man as he stepped out. Yuan.

Her gaze slid over to Zelos a second later…he had lead them right into the trap. How clumsy could he be? Sheena and Colette would have a hard job competing with him for that title.

"He just called you a fool." Lloyd taunted Zelos softly, a tinge of irritation in an otherwise placid tone.

"Zelos…is clumsy." Presea murmured.

Zelos hung his head. "I'm so sad now…"

Raine rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the situation, noticing that they were missing someone from their group. Colette. In fact, the girl was standing _outside _the barrier and the professor's heart started with worry for the girl.

Suddenly, there was a slightly more pressing matter to attend to. Not only were the rheiards being transported by…someway, but Yuan was stalking towards them, his eyes locked onto Lloyd.

"This time, you're mine, Lloyd."

Lloyd took a step back within the trap, hands falling to his swords. "Damn!"

Raine kept a careful eye on the two males as Yuan continued to approach the cage. She had no idea how powerful he was, she couldn't see whether or not he was wearing an exsphere but someone who led the Renegades had to have some form of strength other than just intelligence and wits.

The half-elf was distracted a second late by the appearance of another and he snapped his head over to her.

"Oh? Lord Yuan," the woman purred, contempt and mild surprise in her voice "What brings you to this place?"

Raine frowned. The woman looked vaguely familiar and apparently she wasn't the only one who thought so.

"I think I've seen that lady somewhere before…" Genis murmured, looking up at his sister and she nodded in agreement.

Yuan, on the other hand, quite obviously knew exactly who she was.

"I should ask you the same, Pronyma. The role of you Desians is to wreak havoc upon the declining world!"

Desians? Then did that mean that Pronyma knew Yuan was the leader of the Renegades…surely he wouldn't be stating that so brashly that they were separate organisations if she didn't already know. But then…she had referred to him as 'Lord', even if it had been in a scathing tone, meaning she had to pay him respect. And she would only do that if he was a noble…or a high member of Cruxis.

The professor watched the two with quiet interest, curiosity building. How were two opposing forces so familiar with each other?

"I have come here on Lord Yggdrasill's order to retrieve Colette," Pronyma answered stiffly. "Please turn her over to me."

"Fine," Yuan shrugged and Raine's eyebrow climbed an inch…they were trading off? Why? Shouldn't they be tearing each other's throats out? "But in exchange for handing over the Chosen, I am taking custody of Lloyd. I trust you have no objections?"

"I have received no orders in regards to him, so, please do as you wish, my lord." She answered smugly, contempt in her voice once more as she turned sharply and glided over to where Colette was standing.

Not surprisingly, Lloyd was less keen on the idea. "Colette! Don't go!"

Pronyma turned to regard the boy, laughing at him, malice running through the sound in thick currents. "A futile effort. Your words cannot reach a Chosen who has lost her soul."

She turned back to the Chosen, staring at her quizzically, eyes alighting on the necklace Lloyd had placed around her neck the day before. Her face immediately gained an expression of disdain.

"What is this? Why is there such a crude Kay Crest upon the Cruxis Crystal?" she shook her head "…How pathetic. I shall remove this ugly thing at once."

A hand reached out to the girl's neck, red painted fingernails scraping over the key crest as she meant to take hold of it. Raine turned her head away…it had been bad enough that the key crest hadn't worked, but to see their only hope of Colette returning to them discarded so easily.

"N…no!!"

The half-elf's head snapped over to the voice, recognizing the high girlish pitch instantly. Her eyes widened and lifted to meet Colette's.

Searing red irises had soothed to cool blue, wings were pulled back inside and the girl had flinched away from the woman in front of her.

"This is a birthday present that Lloyd gave me!" trembling hands clasped at the chain about her neck.

"Colette…spoke!" Genis gasped, as wide eyed as his sibling and the rest of the group.

"Colette! Are you back to normal?!" Lloyd asked tentatively, his voice quietly hopeful.

Colette looked over to her group, perplexity drawing itself onto her face. Raine wondered if she remembered everything that had happened since she had supposedly lost her soul.

"What? Why is everyone…inside that thing?"

Yuan took a single step towards the girl, lips parted slightly, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Impossible!" he breathed "There's no way that pitiful Key Crest could restrain the Cruxis Crystal!"

Raine smirked. Apparently he was wrong.

"How could this happen?" Pronyma snapped, turning to look at Yuan briefly. He shrugged, assuming a more neutral expression once more, though Raine could swear she had seen a triumphant, smug smile make its way across his features for a second.

Pronyma shook her head. "Still, in the end, it is but a worthless bauble. It shan't last long! Now, come with me!"

Colette reeled back as the woman grabbed at her, pulling chakrams out and slicing them at the woman "Let me go!"

The Desian floated backwards quickly, out of the girl's range and Colette suddenly stumbled, staggering backwards before tripping, crashing down onto a small metal box that lay nearby. The barrier dropped immediately and the girl turned to stare at the now smoking cube.

"Oh…oh, no! I broke it!!"

Genis laughed loudly as they dashed towards the girl, crowding around her. "Now that's our Colette!"

Raine shook her head, smiling softly. "Something's never change."

She watched from the background, feeling a surge of happiness at the girl's return. Whether it be the way they planned or not, they had Colette back.

It was just a shame that Pronyma and Yuan had to be there at the time, Raine thought, as she saw the woman rush towards them, rage twisting an already sour face.

"Behind you!"

"You impudent!" The Desian spat, holding her tongue "… Prepare to die!"

* * *

Yes...you're going to have to wait until next chapter to see Kratos. On the plus side, however, that chapter is underway already so I should be able to get it up for next monday. And I'm back home (for Christmas) on friday so I have loads of time to write some ficcies and get them posted.

Oh, and on another note, because I've been a member of this site for....4 years? and have never done it before, I am finally succumbing to the notion of writing a christmas piece. It's a series of one-shots (probably only about 3 of them) and I'm intending to do a Kraine one in that series and maybe experiment with some pairings I haven't written before so..yeah, that'll be up within a few weeks hopefully. If you're interested.

Anyway, thanks for reading, hope the chapter was a good one. Reviews greatly appreciated as always. The button's just below please press it.


	25. Always have to look

A.N: Yay! I've actually managed to update on time for a change. Thanks very much for reviews as always, hope you'll continue to.

On with the fic.

Enjoy!

* * *

Always have to look

They rushed into battle with the Desian without half a thought, the morning sun shining down upon them in burning rays.

Pronyma stood, or more accurately, floated before them, painted lips twisted into a snarl, eyes narrowed as she wrenched her staff free from its holding in one of the armour plates that circled her protectively.

"You will pay for making a fool of me!" She hissed, raising the sharp edged staff, summoning a spell instantly.

Zelos and Lloyd dashed forwards to meet her head on, weapons drawn as they charged the woman. Runes danced around her as they darted for her and Raine sprinted to the side of the battlefield, casting defensive spells in preparation, one eye watching Yuan. The half-elf stood at the side of the battle, arms folded across his chest, watching the scene with mild interest, his gaze never leaving Lloyd.

Blue runes danced around the Desian, hints to the spell she was about to release and Genis instantly called up his own spell in response, purples runes circling his feet as he flicked the kendama expertly, young eyes watching his older comrades as they charged for the woman.

Blades slashed down in wide arcs, stopped short and flicked back in the opposite direction in the blink of an eye, only to strike heavily against armour plates, the sound ringing out over the mountain top.

Zelos flinched, snapping his sword back, jumping away from the woman deftly, holding his weapon up in front of him, preparing to guard for an attack he knew was coming.

Lloyd followed suit, jumping to the side just as Pronyma swung her staff towards them in a wide horizontal arc, her high voice screech out an attack.

"Aqua laser!"

A jet of water, fashioned like a blade shot forwards towards the group, Zelos managing to call up an orb of mana to protect himself just as the water ploughed into him.

Sheena darted forwards from the back of the battlefield, glaring at the other female, crouching low to the ground as she ran, a card held firmly between two fingers. The staff was swung horizontally again, skimming over the head of the ninja, clashing into the blocking blade of Zelos. He smirked, locking his blade against her staff just as Sheena burst upwards _within _the circle of plates that protected the Desian and she slapped a card against her abdomen, raining blow after blow upon her, her arms and hands blurring with the speed that they were moving at.

Last card deposited neatly onto the woman's chest, Sheena back-flipped away from her, landing behind Lloyd who charged forwards again. His swords were flung forwards, clashing against gold for a second before pulling back and releasing a mighty wave of mana as his blades struck metal again.

"Beast!"

The woman tumbled back, metal plates scraping across the ground as she did, the metal buckling as it was bent into unnatural angles. Scrambling, she skidded to a halt, righting herself and instantly casting another spell. A black and purple ball sparked between her hands and Raine instantly released her own spell, forming thin protective barriers around the combatants as they rushed to attack the woman, Genis finally releasing his attack.

"Thunder blade."

The glimmering blade shot down through the air, mana slamming into the woman as she cast, electricity sparking out from it in waves of energy. Regardless, she continued casting, the vaguest look of pain crossing her face as electricity jumped from plate to plate around her.

"No way!"

A grin flickered across her face as she lifted her hands, eyes locking onto Presea as the girl charged forwards, axe trailing behind her as she ran.

"Dark sphere!"

A cloud of shadow enveloped the small girl, drowning her in darkness and Raine gasped as silvered runes ghosted around cloud, calling forth dark mana, exploding upon the girl with a flurry of black and purple.

…Photon. It was the exact opposite of Photon and Raine's eyes widened as Presea staggered forwards.

She was using a dark version of her own spell….she, Raine, was on the same level as a Desian leader with her magic.

Enraged at the abuse of her own spell, Raine took a step back, calling up her own mana. Unconsciously, she saw Presea rise and attack the woman as if nothing had ever happened, Lloyd, Zelos and Sheena at her side, Genis' face screwed up in anger as he began casting his own spells again. Red runes encircled him, brighter, stronger and redder than usual, as if his anger had managed to manifest itself into his magic. Raine felt her own anger bubbling inside her, wondering if it would have any effect on her own attack.

She let it swell, feeling the magic inside her building to breaking point and she released it with a hoarse cry of "Photon!"

The green haired woman buckled under the attack and Raine gave a smirk of satisfaction at the sight.

The others took the opportunity to attack the figure as she crumbled, lashing at her with various weapons and it was with a shriek of pain, anger and surprise that she pushed herself from beneath them.

She stumbled away from them, the currents that supported her collapsing without her concentration, leaving the woman half hanging in the air.

Her eyes narrowed as she began to pant, wounds torn into her flesh slowing her down as she began to cast another spell, releasing it as quickly as possible, releasing a wave of circles that ploughed upwards, firing Raine into the air as she stepped forward and was trapped in the magic area.

"Leonazium!"

The professor landed hard as the mana died away, letting her slam back into rocky earth, her shoulder falling against a small rock that jarred against her.

"First aid!" Cried Zelos as Raine rose, healing wounds as they formed, seeing the others charge forwards to protect her as she fell, some circling about her, the others charging Pronyma to distract her.

It happened again and again. She cast attack after attack, knocking them down whilst Raine or Zelos built them back up. But neither of the women's supply of mana was inexhaustible and Raine felt herself tire, saw the others begin to slacken in their attacks until only the occasional hit landed.

It was only a final desperate attempt by Zelos that saved them as he plunged his sword forwards, between the gaps in her armour and into the flesh of her thigh, wrenching it out and releasing a flow of blood that had her clutching at her leg desperately even as Zelos pushed the tip of his sword against her throat.

"Not even a contest." He murmured to the woman.

Lloyd grinned as the man held her to sword point, pride obviously swelling as he turned to face Yuan, something glinting in his eyes dangerously.

"This is the perfect opportunity! Yuan! I'm going to settle our score right now!"

He charged for the older man and Raine let her mouth drop open at his utter stupidity. Not only was he exhausted from the last fight, wounded and still hadn't got his breath back, but he was challenging the leader of the Renegades, whose strength had yet to be judged.

Twin blades carved down through the air towards the blue haired man, but he merely raised an eyebrow in mild amusement.

A second later, the swords stopped in mid-air and it took the whole audience, with the exception of Yuan by surprise. Raine blinked, taking a moment to understand the situation, her eyes tracing up the long silvered blade of the sword, over a blue gloved hand and up a white sleeved arm.

Her stomach dropped when she saw the hair and face of the figure.

"Kratos!" Lloyd gasped, staggering away from the older men. Kratos slid his sword back into its sheath even as Yuan turned to look at him, looking irritated.

"…What are you doing here?" Yuan questioned lowly, both men completely ignoring all other people present.

"Leave, Yuan," Kratos answered simply and Raine shuddered at the voice, the cold tone which she had never wanted to hear again. Because she knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of that tone. She tried to avoid staring at him as she stood, floored and enraged at his sudden appearance but seemed unable to draw her gaze away.

"Lord Yggdrasill has summoned you."

Yuan snarled at the other man. "Are you taking the Chosen?"

Kratos shook his head. "No…we shall leave her for now. It's the toxicosis."

"…I see. Lloyd, our battle will have to wait."

He drew back a few steps, a soft glow coming from behind him and within a few seconds wings were materialising behind him. Smaller and softer than Kratos', coloured purple and he darted backwards, jumping from the edge of the cliff and soaring easily up into the air, currents bearing him away. Raine felt her mouth drop open further as she watched the Renegade retreat, wondering just how many people they had encountered were angels. And what, exactly, the connection was between Yuan and Yggrdrasill.

"He's an angel, too?!" Sheena exclaimed as Lloyd dashed to the edge of the cliff to shout at the figure that was now just a speck.

Raine's eyes, lowered in anger and nervousness, turned painfully slowly to Kratos, forcing herself to look at him. The man she loved and hated with every breath her aching chest took. It stung as she breathed and she lifted her hand to the wound Kratos had inflicted on her a few days ago, finding it to have re-opened with the fall against the rock. She closed her mouth with a quiet snap, glaring at the man who had betrayed her, determined not to let just how much his presence was hurting her show.

Anger is better than misery.

Kratos, on the other hand, seemed to be completely oblivious to his former lover's presence, his dark eyes locked onto his son. Raine's anger grew.

"…What are you doing?" He asked lowly, a grating almost snide tone to an otherwise smooth voice.

Lloyd turned back to look at the seraph.

"…What?"

"Why have you come all the way here to Tethe'alla?"

"I'm here to save Colette…"

Kratos snorted heavily. "What good will saving the Chosen do? The relation of the two worlds vying for each other's mana will not change. Their positions have merely been reversed by the regeneration ritual."

"Has Tethe'alla begun to decline?" Sheena asked quietly, drawing Kratos' attention away from the boy who was barely holding back his rage.

If she could have, Raine would've turned and ran from the mountain top. If it wouldn't look like she was running away from him and he would _know _that he would be the reason for her escape. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of winning, despite her eagerness to just get away.

She didn't want to be here, looking at the man who she loved and hated, didn't want to notice how the white of his outfit defined the clean lines of his body, didn't want to hear the subtly soft tones in his harsh voice, didn't want to know the information he was providing, the intelligence that understood the situation so easily whilst they groped in the dark. She didn't want to admit that she wanted to be standing there beside him, the centre of his attention.

"Lord Yggdrasill does not consider it twisted," Kratos explained in response to something Lloyd had said, the seraph's voice spitting out the word 'twisted' with disdain "If you want to do something about it, use your own head."

He cocked his own head to the side, regarding Lloyd through a thick curtain of hair, his eyes sharp on him. "…I thought you weren't going to make any more mistakes?"

Lloyd's expression hardened with determination, clearly roused by Kratos' words.

"Yeah, I'll do it! This stupid system of two worlds stealing mana from each other… I swear I'll change it!"

Something like pride and the faintest smile flittered over Kratos' face for the briefest of instants, revealing his true meaning to her only as he spoke to his son.

"Heh…well, do your best."

There was no true scorn in the mocking statement, just disbelief and encouragement for the boy, whether he knew it or not.

With that he turned away, blue wings bursting from his back in a splash of colour and light, Pronyma scrabbling after him, away from the distracted Zelos. He stopped at the cliff even as she jumped into the air, ceasing for a moment and turning to look at the assembly watching him, his eyes scanning each of them for the briefest of moments, his eyes on Raine for just a second longer.

Snorting and shaking his head he turned back and jumped into the air, wings carrying him high and out of sight.

Raine watched him without comment, feeling only anger and disappointment flowing through her at his sudden appearance and disappearance. The rest of the group were staring off after the seraph too, and it was only Genis' snapping of his fingers that brought their attention back to the present situation.

"I remember! That Pronyma was the one on the projector at the Asgard ranch!"

"That means she's a Desian!" Sheena stated.

Genis nodded. "And now that Kratos came to interfere and all—it looks like the Desians and Cruxis are really the same organization…"

Raine hummed quietly to herself, trying to guide her thoughts away from Kratos, focusing instead on the other recently revealed angel.

"It would appear that Yuan is connected to Cruxis as well."

Pronyma's submission, however scathing it was, and Kratos' intervention with saving the other angel could only mean he was worth paying respect to. And that wouldn't occur if they even suspected what he was doing.

Lloyd shook his head. "This is all so confusing! In other words, they're all our enemies, right?"

Raine's eyes narrowed. All their enemies…it was rather childish and simplistic…but that might just be how she needed to look at the world at the moment. Perhaps pushing adult desires and feelings aside was the best way to deal with her personal issues at the very least.

"Yes. That means we must be careful of everyone, including the Renegades."

She lifted her eyes to look at the worried faces of the group, stopping on Colette in particular. So much had happened and the girl had only just returned to them. They should be welcoming her back and so she offered the girl a gentle smile, despite her own state.

Genis seemed to get the hint and turned to the girl, asking how she was. Raine stood back and listened quietly, watching the youngsters interact, noting the way Lloyd's face fell a little when Colette revealed her wings. Apparently, her return to humanity had not taken them from her and Raine partly wished it had. At least then there would be less of a reminder of the mess they were in and person who had betrayed them. Him and his disgustingly beautiful wings.

She frowned when she heard Zelos mentioning something about Chosen's 'sticking together' and decided it would be an appropriate time to intervene.

"Now what shall we do?" she asked abruptly, glaring at Zelos. Colette remained, oblivious as ever, to Zelos' intentions, just as Lloyd was.

"Since Colette has regained her soul, there's no need for us to head immediately back to Sylvarant, but…"

…but they now had no idea of what they were doing. Saving Colette was their main goal and with that completed, they had no plan. She looked to Lloyd for ideas.

"We know what we have to do!" he announced "We're going to search for a way to save both worlds in order to prevent any more Chosen like Colette!"

Some agreement ran around the group, but Genis quickly interjected, looking to the still-silent Presea.

"What about Presea? It's not fair to keep dragging her around like this!"

"…I…want to go home." The girl muttered, looking up at the young half-elf with dulled blue eyes.

Zelos looked at the girl with a raised brow before realisation seemed to strike him.

"Oh yeah, that's right, we need to bring Presea to that Kate chick."

"Unfortunately, I doubt we can use the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge anymore." Raine pointed out, given the recent run in with the Papal knights.

"I have contacts in Meltokio. Let's ask them for help." Sheena suggested.

"But we're wanted traitors. Can we even get into Meltokio?" Genis asked.

"Leave that to me. I know Meltokio like the back of my hand." Zelos stated, an obnoxious grin on his face once more. Raine was half expecting a joke along the lines of 'Hey that freckle's new'. Fortunately, it never came.

"Now my hunnies, we're off to Meltokio!" Zelos announced, leading them away from the barren mountain top and back to the city.

--

Kratos bit his lip, slamming the door to his quarters shut behind him, leaving a startled Yuan in the corridor.

He had been such a fool in going to the Fooji mountains, knowing that Lloyd's group would be there. After all, that was the point and exactly why Pronyma had gone, but there hadn't been anyone he could trust to send the message to her not to retrieve the Chosen. Especially when she had returned to life.

Lord Yggdrasill had been furious at the development, of course, whether it be a result of the key crest Lloyd had made or the Toxicosis. Several of the servants and even Pronyma had marks to prove the extent of his wrath.

He himself, as well as Yuan, had managed to avoid such treatment. They commanded too much respect to be treated so in the presence of a lowlife such as Pronyma. Still, it left Kratos wondering as to _why _exactly Yuan had been there in the first place. He wasn't sure on what Yuan _was _supposed to be doing at the moment anyway, but he had certainly not been ordered to retrieve the Chosen.

Perhaps it had been merely to confront Lloyd, whom he seemed to have taken an interest in, but Kratos could not remember a time when the two had met, save for when the boy was very young and Anna had still been alive.

The seraph frowned, wondering what the other was up to exactly. He would have to keep an eye on him in future, wherever possible. The problem was with all of his own plans, serving Yggdrasill _and_ keeping an eye on Lloyd's activities, he had very little time left. And what he did have was reserved for simply trying to get his thoughts in order.

Like right now. Not only were Yuan's actions concerning him, as well as Lloyd's next move and his own, there was another factor to add in to his thoughts. One that he shouldn't have let happen, but he had.

Now what was he going to do about Raine Sage?  
He had known she would be there when he had landed, and it had been painful just to look at her when he had arrived. The sheer guilt had almost made him turn and leave and if Lloyd hadn't attacked Yuan right at that moment, he probably would have. The boy would've been beaten to a pulp by Yuan, team or no team, should he have decided to attack.

It didn't change the fact that he had remained though and it certainly didn't change the way he was feeling. He had not allowed himself to look at Raine for the entire exchange, for fear of seeing what her reaction to him would be. He deserved to be hated by her, _wanted _her to hate him, but at the same time he couldn't stand it. He had not connected to another as he had her since Anna and the loss of such a relationship was something he hated.

He shouldn't have let it happen. He had known he would suffer for it in the end, just as he had with Anna, but he had done it anyway. After all he had learnt after all his years, he thought he would have learnt by now, but it seemed that in some respects, he was still just a child. And worst of all?

He had looked.

After all the willpower it had taken to get through the short meeting with Lloyd and co. he had caved. He had been on the edge of leaving, could have merely released his wings and followed Pronyma. He could have come back here and ignored all thoughts of her, because if she was out of sight, she was easier to put out of mind. But no, he had looked, and it had stung him to see her. He hadn't been able to place the expression on her face. Such a mixture of emotion that she was so hard to read now, not like the carefully constructed woman she had been before, the one he had found hard to read because she controlled herself so well.

He had done that to her. Perhaps his plan of making him hate her wasn't working as well as he had thought. For though there were many negative emotions, they could not all have made her wear that facial expression or hold her body the way she did, as if she was unsure of everything that was occurring now herself.

And the wound. He hadn't noticed it initially, but the wound he had inflicted on her just a few days ago had been bleeding, dark liquid soaking into the orange of her travelling coat. Just a thin stream, but there, and apparent to him.

Sighing, he crossed to the bed and slid onto it wondering just why he had to make things so complicated. Why he always had to look.

--

Raine trudged behind the rest of the group with her mind reeling as she went, her hand pressed to her shoulder, staunching the thin flow of blood. It wasn't worth calling first aid up to heal, especially with her mana levels as low as they were after the battle.

They had eaten lunch halfway down the mountain, Colette having joined them at long last, and though spirits were high among the rest of the group, Raine wasn't feeling so enthused.

Why did she let him affect her so? She should know better, a grown woman like her should never fall so easily, especially not someone so sure of their self, so strong.

The run in with Kratos had shaken her and drained her in a matter of seconds. Just the sight of him had destroyed the barely held together construction of her thoughts, the teetering understanding of her feelings, leaving her struggling to stay focused as they travelled back to Meltokio.

It was only the task of sorting the information of everything that had happened before Kratos had appeared that was keeping her from dwelling on it completely and breaking out into a furious rage or depressed furrow. Though the furrow was still partly formed, and she found herself listless despite Colette's return to them, refraining from conversing with the rest of the group.

Colette, Lloyd, Genis and Sheena were talking animatedly, filling the girl in on everything that had happened since the Tower of Salvation. Zelos walked alongside, listening in, filling himself in on the details as well as getting to know the other Chosen.

Presea, as always, was walking in the middle of the group, silent and alone, despite the attempts of the others to make her feel like one of the group, talking to her and trying to include her. Silence was her only response.

Zelos looked back at the girl after one particular attempt, his eyes straying from the girl's to Raine's. She held the gaze for a moment before pulling away, hoping that he wouldn't take the eye contact as an invitation for him to come and talk to her. The last thing she needed was another male invading her thoughts.

He had though and he quietly slid back through the ranks to where the woman was walking.

"Hey there, cool beauty."

Raine cast him half a glance, before continuing to stare straight ahead as she walked, eyes locked onto the distant city.

"Not playing ball, huh? What's up?"

"What do you want, Zelos?"

"Well you seemed a little lonesome back here, thought I might bring my salivacious company to you."

"How generous."

"I thought so." Zelos replied smugly, ignoring the harsh sarcasm in her tone.

They lapsed into silence for a moment. "So…" Zelos began conversationally "…what do you make of this morning?"

"Eventful, what else can I say?"

"True enough. Have to say though, I'm a tad confused."

"Over what?"

"Well you all know who this Yuan guy is, and you seem to have some inkling of that Pronyma chick. And that Kratos dude, you've explained about before but…I'm coming in from the outside, I have no clue what's going on."

Raine sighed. "You know about Kratos, and all we know of Pronyma is that she's a Desian. As for Yuan…he's the leader of a group called the Renegades, which opposes Cruxis, but now he seems to be working with them as well. He and Kratos seemed very familiar."

"So that's all it is that's going on?"

"As far as we know. I have a feeling were in the middle of something much too big for us to handle."

"Maybe we are. But Lloyd's not going to let us out of it in a hurry."

"True."

"Anything else on your mind then?"

"Actually Zelos, yes," she finally looked to meet the blue eyes "I've been meaning to ask you this all morning… how exactly were you planning on moving those rheiards?"

Zelos sniggered lightly. "Like I told Lloyd, it was to be a surprise."

"But it's over now, so is there any reason to hide it?"

"Hehe. Well then, have it your way . We have technology called wing packs here in Tethe'alla, it converts matter into mana so that large objects can be carried."

"Really? Fascinating."

"Thought you'd like that."

"Mmhmm."

"Well, Ms. Sage, if I'm excused I'll return to my hunnies up front."

"Yes Zelos, of course."

"Oh and Raine?"

"Yes, Zelos?" Raine sighed.

"Dunno what you think, but after everything he's done to you well…that Kratos guy is an ass. I wouldn't worry about him too much."

Raine lifted an eyebrow, wondering just what the man was going on about. "Um…thank you for that Zelos, but I'm quite capable of deciding how to deal with traitors myself."

Zelos swallowed thickly. "I'll bear that in mind."

He darted away to the front of the group, throwing a glance back to Raine as he did before turning away, sliding back into conversation effortlessly with the rest of the group.

--

The day was wearing on by the time they reached Meltokio and Raine was quite ready to retire for the rest of the day. Trekking down a mountain and then across a continent, as well as fighting an enraged Medusa look-a-like was rather tiring.

It seemed, however, that it was not going to be as simple a case as merely popping inside the city and finding an inn for the night, when the guards informed Zelos that they couldn't allow them entrance to the city. Apparently, there was a wanted status upon them now. Not that the news surprised any of them and Zelos quickly led them down a path to a small water trench that flowed out from the city walls. They ducked inside the entrance, out of sight of the guards, urging Noishe to run past the guards and distract them from the fact that the wanted group were sneaking inside.

Under Zelos' instruction, they made their way into the dark of the sewers, Zelos explaining their function as they made their way through dark, stinking tunnels.

Raine, for once, stayed quiet and deigned not to ask any questions that may slow them further. She just wanted to get out of the wretched place.

Eventually, after a series of odd mechanisms and puzzles that seemed to have been set up purely to stop them from making their way inside they found themselves walking alongside a large staircase that seemed to lead out of the sewers and they rushed forwards, blurring past slime covered walls, eager to leave the dank darkness.

It was just as they reached the foot of the steps that they were unexpectedly stopped, three bald men dressed in rags leaping down in front of them. There were thick metal collars around their necks, their wrists bound in chains, barcodes tattooed onto the sides of their shaven skulls.

Thick wooden clubs were held in grizzled hands.

Zelos, who had been leading, backed up immediately. His eyes flicked from face to face of the convicts, scanning over shaven skulls, hard features and grizzled facial hair.

"What's goin' on?" he asked slowly, hand falling to the hilt of his sword.

"I sense…" Presea whispered "…danger."

One of the men, apparently the leader, stepped forwards, raising a club to slap down threateningly into an open palm.

"…We've been waiting for you, travellers from Sylvarant."

Zelos cocked his head, eyes narrowing at the statement, wondering just why. One of the other convicts answered the unasked question.

"The Pope promised to lighten our sentences if we got rid of you. We've got nothing personal against you, but we need you to die!"

The three rushed forwards the second the words had finished leaving the convict's mouth.

Apparently, the three men weren't too smart. The fact that they were three men armed with clubs facing a group of seven all in possession of rather specialist weapons didn't phase them in the slightest. The fact that half of them had travelled from another world had seemingly no effect on their thoughts of their odds of winning. And the fact that they had an angel with them also didn't seem to cross their minds.

In fact, it was rather sad that they even tried in the first place. True, desperate criminals would do anything to earn a reprieve but this was just bordering on pathetic. It was even more sad that when they were tossed to the floor a few minutes later, utterly defeated, they actually looked surprised.

Zelos smirked, opening his mouth to make a smart remark, but he was cut short by the descent of a large blue-haired man onto his back. The red-head grunted loudly as the weight crashed down onto his back, pinning him to the floor. Raine stepped forward as the man turned and looked over his shoulder to the group.

"Don't move…If you move, the Chosen dies. Understand?"

She froze, meeting a dark, stern gaze framed by scruffy, matted blue hair.

Zelos understandably, protested loudly. "Whoa whoa whoa! You think you can get away with doing something like this to the Chosen?"

The man shook his head. "One who plots the destruction of the world…can no longer be deemed the Chosen."

Zelos grunted, somehow turning his head to look at Lloyd, meeting the boy's surprised gaze.

"Oh…hey, Lloyd! If you abandon me here, I swear, I'll come back to haunt you!"

Lloyd shrugged casually, apparently unconcerned as to the danger of the situation.

"…I just had a sudden, violent urge to abandon you."

Presea chose that moment to dash forwards, swinging her axe in a wide arc at the man. He moved the second he saw the axe coming towards him, clustering with the three convicts as Zelos scrabbled to his feet and dove behind Lloyd, wrapping his arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. Raine lifted an eyebrow.

Presea still stood in front of the group, glaring at the abnormally tall man and in the dim light, Raine could just make out that his hands were bound by shackles. He was a convict too. Currently his gaze was fixed on Presea.

"You're…" he gasped.

Genis growled quietly, apparently deciding that the man's interaction with Presea had gone far enough and he released a flurry of fireballs at the man.

He evaded the attack easily.

"Ugh…retreat for now." He ordered, turning and dashing up the stairs, the other men in tow.

The group watched them go quietly. The pope was still on their tail, which meant that everything was going to be so much more difficult from now on.

Lloyd sighed heavily, finally pushing Zelos off him. The chosen looked mildly put out at the action.

"Looks like it's over for now."

There were a few quiet murmurs of agreement, and after a moment, they silently decided to move on, slower this time, listening out for any signs of danger. The surprise attack had made Lloyd realise just how much danger they were in at the moment, how big the events they were trapped in the middle of were.

Finally, they climbed up a ladder set into the wall, pushing a manhole cover aside and crawling out to find themselves in the backstreets of Meltokio. Fortunately, with the sun beginning to set, no-one was around to see them.

Distancing themselves from the sewer somewhat, they slid into a back alley to speak without the danger of being seen.

"Now we can meet my friends." Sheena commented, her voice hushed as they spoke.

"Where are your friends?" Colette asked.

"At a place called the Elemental Research Laboratory. I learned my summoning arts there. It's also where Corrine was born."

"Ok, let's go to that Elemental Research Laboratory place, then." Lloyd suggested. Raine held out a hand to stop him.

"Let's leave that until tomorrow. We'd best lay low for tonight considering the pope's actions towards us. Going to somewhere as influential as this laboratory would probably be a bad idea."

"Then we find somewhere to stay for the night and try tomorrow morning?"  
"That would be best."

"How are we gonna find somewhere to stay for the night though? The inns will probably have been warned about us."

Zelos sniggered. "Leave that to me."

"We seem to be leaving a lot to you lately, Zelos." Raine commented.

"And I've only failed you once, through no fault of my own. Besides, I'm just proving that I'm helpful and that you can trust me."

"I suppose…"

"Well then, nothing to worry about. Let's head to that inn."

They walked there quietly, trying to keep to the shadow as much as possible, avoiding the occasional patrol by the papal knights.

Once at the inn, Zelos approached the front desk cockily.

"Good evening, charming lady. I was wondering if you might have enough rooms to house my friends and I for the night. 7 of us in total."

"Ah Chosen…I would but….um, I'm sorry but you're currently wanted. I.."

"Oh don't worry about that, my gorgeousness," Zelos interrupted, resting one elbow on the desk and leaning forwards. "I swear we'll keep quiet, no-one will know we're here. And…I'll make it very worth your while."

A slow, almost lecherous grin crossed his full lips.

"I…I'll show your friends to their rooms."

"Thank you, sweet hunny."

The woman, blushing, beckoned for the group to follow, showing them to their respective rooms. Raine listened quietly through her door as Zelos remained with the woman.

"Tell me…is your husband home?"

"N…no, Chosen."

"Then all is well."

She didn't hear anymore after that, only aware that the two had moved on somewhere else, most likely the woman's room. Raine rolled her eyes, walking away from the door and throwing herself down onto the bed, too exhausted to even bother undressing.

--

"That's insane!" Sheena exclaimed to the small group of researchers clustered in front of them.

They had managed to reach the Elemental Research Laboratory with no problems and had met many of Sheena's associates, including a man named Kuchinawa who she had apparently grown up with.

Currently, they were discussing how to cross to the other continent without using the bridge. Raine lifted an eyebrow at Sheena's outburst.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd asked.

"They want us to cross the sea in an Elemental Cargo!"

"An elemen what?"

Raine listened quietly as Presea explained that an Elemental Cargo, or EC was a device used for transporting materials and goods for businesses. The idea didn't set too well with Raine, though if it was the only way to cross it had to be done. It was only when the word 'surf' came up that Raine started to wish there was another way.

"S…surf…"

Lloyd glanced at her, noticing her apprehension. Apparently, like his father, he had twigged that she had a fear of water too. Though, she thought it might actually be quite obvious.

"Isn't there any other way?" He questioned, turning back to the researchers.

"The bridge is closed." He explained slowly, as if Lloyd were a small, dumb child. "You don't have the necessary identification to use an ocean liner. And on top of that, there are two half-elves with you."

"…Not that again." Genis tutted. Raine tapped him on the shoulder in warning as the researcher shrugged.

"That's the kind of world Tethe'alla is. …We, too, hardly ever get to leave this building."

"Ah, well, there's no point in getting all gloomy. So will you make that modified EC for us?" Zelos stated, looking to the researcher.

"If you'll wait a day, we'll have it ready."

Raine groaned inwardly. Another day in the city, fearing to be caught by the authorities. Brilliant.

"Ok. Well, then, let's go rest at my mansion." Zelos suggested. Apparently, spending another night with a married woman you've already slept with was a bad idea, especially when her husband had returned home that morning and thrown you a suspicious glance.

"The Pope's minions aren't going to be waiting for us there, right?" Sheena questioned, looking worried.

"We're going to have to spend the night in this city," Lloyd pointed out "So it doesn't matter where we are, it'll still be dangerous."

Sheena nodded in understanding.

With the plans for the day decided, they left the labs, making their way out and up into the nobles' quarters, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Something that was proving difficult for Zelos. It was fortunate he was so well liked by the town's people. It meant they remained loyal to him, and would lie to the papal knights when questioned.

Zelos mansion proved to be a particularly large, ornate building and as they approached, Raine had to wonder how one person could need such a spacious home. It was nice to have room to move about, but this was ridiculous. She rolled her eyes at the peacocks that strutted over the neatly trimmed lawns. They seemed to be a metaphor for their owner.

The inside of the building was no less impressive as they made their way in. The floor was pure marble, set with small white stones that glinted in the light of the room. The walls were adorned with lustrous wall paper and swathes of material that gave the chamber a luxurious look. Large exotic flowers in pots were scattered around the room, pretentious portraits on the walls and a baby grand piano at the base of the red carpet lined staircase.

Presents were piled atop it, unopened but, Raine noticed as a small detail as she passed by, the keys were yellowed with use. She wondered if that was due to Zelos himself, or the woman whose portrait hung on the wall, perpendicular to the fireplace. Judging from the flaming red hair that fell in front of her shoulder in a tight twist, she was his mother.

Eyes glued to the portrait of the beautiful woman, she crossed to it as Zelos spoke to his butler and the others milled about the room.

Families had always fascinated her…the connections between parent and child. It was something she had little experience of herself, like Lloyd, but after all these years, he had a father, even if he didn't know about it. A father who had recognised his son instantly.

She wondered, if her mother were still alive, if she would recognise her grown up daughter. Or son.

"My mother, Mylene." Zelos commented.

"Yes, I had guessed."

"She passed away when I was just a kid."

"I'm sorry."

"Cheers," he cleared his throat "I'm guessing that you aren't in contact with yours either."

"No. She's…I assume she's no longer with us."

"You don't know?"

"It's hard to know if your parents are alive if you haven't had contact with them since you were a small child."

"And vice versa, I would say."

"I guess so. But why do you say that?"

Zelos froze for a second before blinking and grinning. "Just…must be hard for a parent to lose a child, you know? Children expect to have to deal with the death of their parents, eventually, but not the other way around."

"That's true."

They fell silent, looking up at the portrait before Zelos turned away. "Well, I'm gonna go schmooze with the losers."

"Lloyd and Genis?"

"You got it."

"Thank you for referring to my brother as such."

"Heh. Love the brats really. See ya later, beauty."

He disappeared, leaving Raine to stare up at the portrait again, thoughts about her own past swimming through her head. The images of ruins under a full moon.

And Kratos. The loss of his child in the night. The child that stood behind her now, chatting to Sheena, unaware of the events conspiring around him.

* * *

I...don't quite know what happened with the ending, but the whole parent-child thing seems to be a big issue in ToS since there are so many mentions of lost mothers and fathers and even though Zelos can bug the hell out of me sometimes, he deserves to have some more background. Plus, he can kinda associate with Raine in some aspects which is why there's quite a bit of Zelos and Raine interaction at the moment - he's not as dumb as he seems, bless him. And...the whole parent/ child thing can link her back to Kratos thoughts so...yeah.

The whole family aspect of ToS is something I quite liked too, so I might explore it a bit (as if I don't already have enough work with trying to sort out the Kraine stuff).

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Please review. Oh and thanks to all the people who have fave'd this too.


	26. Alliances

Alliances

Raine stood on the pier of the artificial beach that ran alongside the beginning of the Grand Tethe'alla bridge, frowning at the technology that had just been displayed to her, watching as the elemental cargo that was to carry them across the sea disappeared into a small bag that Lloyd was holding.

There was some strange sense of familiarity that she had with that technology, as if there was some memory of it in the far corners of her mind, previously unaccessed. Now the, the images were stirring thoughts and feelings that she didn't completely recognise…but how could she have these memories if she had not experienced it herself?  
"See, it fits inside." Zelos announced, watching as Lloyd all but bounced with excitement.

"It disappeared! It's amazing! This is so cool! Let's try bringing it back out."

He held up the bag and the ship suddenly materialised in front of them again, bobbing serenely on the water as if nothing had ever happened. The action was met with astonished cries from the younger members of the Sylvarant team. Raine and the remainder of the group, including Kuchinawa who stood in front of them, shook their heads.

"…That's enough goofing around." Kuchinawa snapped. "How about getting on your way?"

Lloyd ceased all movement suddenly, save to turn his head to look at Kuchinawa.

"Yeah. All right. I can't wait to make use of this EC! This is great!"

"We're going to sea, aren't we…" Raine murmured, swallowing thickly and looking nervously at the bobbing craft. Sure, it was more sturdily built than the washtubs they had used to travel to Thoda Island…but it was still a craft not made to float. A craft made out of metal…_and _they were using an untried, untested method of moving within it. This was dangerous and foolhardy and Raine swallowed thickly again. Now, more than other, she wished she had someone who made her feel safe with her.

"Let's get going, then. Off to Sybak!" Sheena announced.

Zelos dashed forwards, leading the way on board as Sheena approached Kuchinawa. Raine loitered behind the rest of the as they boarded until there was no one left except herself and Sheena.

"Yo Professor! What's the hold up?" Zelos called, staring up at the woman through the hatch in the top.

"Uh…n…nothing. I was just uh…." She swallowed again "Are we _sure _this craft is safe?"

"Oh come on, Professor! We wouldn't be using it if it wasn't. Besides, we have no other way of getting across. Unless you wanna swim."

"A-alright, alright, I'm coming."

She took a steadying breath before stepping up to the hatch, peering down into Zelos' face. The Chosen grinned and extended his hand, letting her take it and helping her down into the body of the ship. She made her way to a shelf to sit down as soon as possible, watching as Sheena jumped down and closed the hatch firmly behind her.

Raine closed her eyes, willing the journey to be over as quickly as possible. Inevitably, it dragged but Sheena was soon announcing their arrival. The professor dashed to the hatch, clambering out as quickly as possible. She had felt she was suffocating inside that cramped cabin, and the fresh, free air was refreshing. She took several deep breaths as the rest of the group assembled behind her.

"Raine? Are you ok?"

She turned upon hearing her name, finding Genis to be standing beside her, concern playing across his young face.

"I'm fine, Genis."

"You sure?"

"Yes." She answered shortly, before looking to her brother, giving him a light, reassuring smile. The boy nodded, obviously taking the hint that she didn't want to linger on her unease and he turned his gaze back to the other as they piled up.

"Hey guys, c'mon! Let's get to Sybak!"

Lloyd pulled himself out the hatch. "What's the hurry, Genis?"

The boy's eyes, as expected, strayed to Presea. "We need to help Presea get back home…the sooner we get back to Sybak, the sooner we can do that."

Raine smiled, feeling her mood lift a fraction as she turned to look out across the landscape. Genis was quickly becoming infatuated with the girl and she found his naivety rather endearing. In fact she had heard from Zelos how yesterday, her younger brother had complimented the girl. With Presea in her current state it had, of course, fallen through, but still….the attempt had been sweet. She only hoped the boy didn't end up getting hurt as she herself had.

"Alright, hunnybuns! Let's get to Sybak!" Zelos announced, bouncing forward to take the lead with Lloyd, guiding them back to the academic city.

--

The noise from Sybak could be heard from some distance away and Raine felt her mood lighten with the promise of being in a learning environment, the one situation she was at home in. Perhaps, aside from meeting with this Kate woman, they would be able to linger for a while, even if it was only for them to take lunch. The library had been simply fascinating.

They made their way in at a steady pace, Zelos and Lloyd in the lead, the rest of the group surrounding Raine, chatting quietly…and then the talking stopped. And so did the walking. Raine stepped out to the side of the group, wondering just what the hold-up was…and she instantly regretted the move.

"Kratos!" Lloyd spat, pushing Colette behind himself as if he could actually protect her. "Are you trying to take Colette away?!"

Raine watched the boy as he wrenched his swords free. Kratos lifted a disdainful eyebrow and Raine felt her mouth curve down sourly.

"…I have no intention of fighting you inside the city." Kratos stated. Raine blinked, hearing a metallic rasp and clang and when she opened her eyes, Lloyd sat on the floor, unarmed. His mouth hung open in shock before snapping shut, his eyes blazing with anger as he looked up at the older man.

Kratos sheathed his sword, arms folding over his chest. "You still lack the skills to defeat me."

Raine's stomach constricted in anger for the boy who sat at Kratos' feet. How could he humiliate his own son so? Or was he just doing it to try and force Lloyd to improve his skills?

She suddenly realised that she knew very little about Kratos' true nature. While it was true that she should have realised that after his betrayal, part of her thought that she had understood how his mind worked, why he did what he did. She thought she knew some of his mind, but now she thought, she was just as blind as the others. Apparently, his revelations to her about Anna, about Lloyd, had counted for nothing.

Lloyd staggered to his feet, holding his arm, as if it had been jarred when Kratos had disarmed him.

Her hand strayed to her shoulder, tracing along the thin scratch again. It had closed since two days ago, but it still stung slightly at her touch.

"Don't insult me!" Lloyd spat, glaring at the older man. Kratos remained as neutral as ever.

"I merely speak the truth." The seraph stated, before strolling away from Lloyd, passing the rest of the group. He halted when he came to Colette, looking down at her as she stood just in front of Raine.

"Chosen One. If you wish to live, you must remove that worthless Key Crest."

"…No." Colette stated and Raine thought it was the first time that she had heard the girl deny someone of something, especially someone so powerful, who wielded so much authority.

"I'm never taking it off. Lloyd gave this to me."

Kratos' eyes narrowed at the defiance. "…Foolish sentiments."

He turned away from the girl and Raine lifted her own eyes to the man's face, sure that the statement hadn't only been in reference to Colette. From the way his eyes met her own blue gaze, it was probably the case and she glared back at him firmly, trying to avoid looking away from the intensity of his brown eyes, her anger giving her strength.

He broke the gaze first, turning away as he continued on his way out of the city, as if Raine wasn't worth his time. Her stomach twisted with anger and sorrow.

Genis stared after the man as the group twisted to watch the retreating figure. "He wasn't after Colette?"

Zelos snorted, his face contorted slightly with distaste.

"Man, what an arrogant SOB. Talking as if he knows everything…"

Raine gave the Chosen a sharp, warning glare in response, her mood at an all time low…or an all time high on the irritation front. Kratos' reappearance had riled her, but that part of her that had longed to approach him again to speak to him, to reason with him in an attempt to understand and perhaps convert him, to have him by her side, travelling with them to save the world once more…it jumped to the man's defence. Zelos didn't even know the guy, and even though she understood that Kratos often gave off the impression of being an arrogant jerk at first…it still didn't give him the right to speak about people like that.

"While we're on the subject of ways of talking," Sheena growled, turning to Zelos. She had caught Raine's gaze and for whatever reason Raine was pissed off with the Chosen, it gave her backup for her own point. "why don'tcha do something about the vulgar language?"

Zelos merely sniggered to himself, ignoring the young woman's words. Raine shook her head and turned to Lloyd. She didn't want to remain here to think about Kratos and besides, whether he was around or not, they had their own agenda to complete.

"Anyway, Lloyd, we must go see this Kate person."

Lloyd nodded in agreement, bending over to collect his dropped blades and sheathing them before leading the group through the city and academy, down into the dank basement where Kate spent all her time. Raine frowned at the conditions as they descended, not understanding why the half-elves that lived here tolerated such conditions. But then she supposed, here they had food and shelter provided which was a lot more than other half-elves may have had.

They reached the bottom of the stairs, pushing through the heavy wooden doors and into the dark basement. A woman dressed in a white coat spun at the sound, looking to the arrivals, recognition and surprise flitting across her face.

"…It's you!"

"We've saved our friends and came back with Presea just like we promised." Lloyd stated, gesturing behind him to the rest of the group.

Kate's eyes scanned the group slowly, coming to rest on Raine and her brother and she slowly nodded.

"…Yes, you're right. The strange mana produced by the fusion of elven and human blood… You really do have half-elf friends."

"I've heard the story," Raine announced, stepping forwards to face the other half-elf "Presea's creating a Cruxis Crystal inside her body?"

Kate nodded. "That's correct. We call it the Angelus Project."

Raine felt her own eyebrows lift as surprise ran across the faces of the Sylvarant team.

"The Angelus Project! That's…the Project my Mom was involved in." Lloyd stated, glancing back to Presea, his eyes softening as he began to understand just what the project entailed. How much suffering his own mother had gone through. Raine shook her head. Kratos had seen this too…he had been up close and personal with it and she wondered how much suffering he had gone through to see what his lover had experienced.

Presea shied away, walking to the back of the room and huddling into a corner, away from the half-elf who had inflicted this upon her.

Raine listened as Kate explained the method of creating Cruxis Crystals. It seemed that it was not the exsphere itself, but the type of key crest placed upon it that dictated its development.

"Is the parasitic infection of the Exsphere the reason why Presea's emotional response is so subdued?"

Kate didn't answer, but Genis reached the same conclusion as Raine within seconds.

"So she's just like Colette."

Colette looked backed to the girl, grief on her face. "If we leave Presea like this, what will happen to her?"

"When the parasitic process is complete…" Kate paused, reading the faces of the people present "she will die."

"That's horrible!" Genis spat, glaring at the woman, fists clenching "What did she ever do to you?!"

"Nothing. She hasn't done anything. She just matched in the compatibility test." Kate answered meekly.

"You're going to save her, right?" Lloyd demanded "You promised."

Kate nodded "Yes. I know. You didn't discriminate against half-elves…I'll keep my promise."

Another half-elf looked up to her superior sharply.

"Kate! Are you sure?! If you do that, you'll…"

"A promise is a promise," Kate answered before turning back to Lloyd "In order to save Presea, speak to a dwarf named Altessa who lives deep in Gaoracchia Forest."

"There are dwarves in this world, too?!"

"Yes. He and I participated in this experiment by the order of the Pope."

Zelos rolled his eyes and tutted loudly. "Sheesh, not that pathetic old man again."

"Don't call him a pathetic old man!" Kate protested, eyes narrowing behind her spectacles.

"Oh, my. That's unusual, a half-elf siding with the Pope."

"…I'm…not siding with him. Anyway, have Altessa repair Presea's Key Crest." Kate mumbled, turning away from the group and back to whatever it was she had been working on before.

"Then it's settled. Shall we head for Gaoracchia Forest?" Sheena asked, looking around the group.

"Yeah," Lloyd nodded "…though could there be a connection between the Pope and the Desians?"

Raine smiled, impressed that Lloyd had, for once, managed to put two ideas together to form a theory.

"Yes, I'm wondering about that, too."

The boy smiled back lightly before turning back to the rest of the group. "Let's get going then."

They turned from Kate, leaving the room by the way they had come in, keeping an eye out for people that might see them leaving and report them to the authorities.

Once clear of the academy, they headed straight out of the city, steering northwest to the distant darkness of the Gaoracchia forest.

--

Kratos settled himself down into the comfortable chair that sat in front of his desk in his personal chambers in Cruxis' stronghold, setting the small object he had received from the academy upon it, scrutinizing it from a distance.

This substance…it was part of a set of objects that would, hopefully, change the world. If only he could get the rest of the required materials. And if only he would stop running into Lloyd's group and having his thoughts scattered like the seeds of a dandelion clock caught in the wind.

Each time he met them, it was as if the group conspired to throw him off course. Even Colette had began to do it too…blatantly ignoring his advice and actively throwing it back at him in front of the group, showing him up. And she had been so meek when travelling with him. But then, he supposed he couldn't blame her after all he had inflicted upon her in the name of Cruxis. Just as he couldn't blame Raine for the stern glare she had given him, the flaring anger and hatred in that gaze that had been directed solely at him. It was just what he had been hoping for from her…but he still couldn't shake the feeling of hurt when he had held her gaze, but it was comforting to know she was holding up enough to meet and hold his gaze. She was still strong despite everything that was being thrown at her and that was more than he could have ever hoped for. It was one of the elements that had drawn him to her, the quietly active rebelliousness of her nature. Held in, but present.

Standing, he rolled his shoulders, pulling the belt that held his sword from about his hips, slowly pulling the weapon free of its sheath and examining the blade. There were nicks and scratches over a formerly pristine surface, acutely defining the age of it and he ran a finger down its length, finding the freshest nick where he had struck Lloyd's blades out of his hands.

He shook his head at the memories of his son's behaviour. He was still so reckless, so irresponsible and immature, and he could only hope that the coming journey would make him realise the realities he had to face if he wanted to achieve his goals. Like taking on his own father, for example, whether he realised that's who it was or not. It was irrelevant in the grand scheme, but if Lloyd couldn't beat him, he didn't have a hope in hell of saving the world. Yggdrasill would beat him to a pulp. He just hoped his words would spur Lloyd into some kind of action in improving his skills and focusing on his goals instead of growing bored. Saving the world was no mean feat and it would take all of the boy's skill and energy to keep his group on track. The only thing Kratos could do to help that now was to give the party hints, so that they didn't end up stumbling around blindly, unaware of what they were doing.

Sighing he placed the blade on the desk, letting his head fall into his hands, fingers tangling in his own hair. A knock at the door made his head jerk up and he looked over to it, pulling his hands from his hair and breathing softly, hiding the item on his desk in a drawer.

"Yes?"

The door swung open slowly, revealing Yuan standing behind it and the half-elf stepped inside quickly, letting the door click shut behind him, his face stern.

"Where have you been all morning? I've been looking for you."

"The surface. Why?"

"Lord Yggdrasill wants to speak with you."

"In regards to what?"

Yuan shrugged. "He didn't say, but I got the distinct impression that the longer you keep him waiting, the more unpleasant he's going to make that meeting on you."

Kratos snorted.

"Scoff if you wish, Kratos, but just remember…it may not be you who pays the price, but Lloyd. If you want your son to remain in one piece, you might want consider being a bit more compliant for a while."

The darker haired seraph turned a dark glare on the other man. "I'm aware."

"Then act like it. Speaking of which, what are they up to?"

"As far as I can tell…wandering around the world trying to find some purpose."

"Useful."

"Either way, as long as we keep an eye on the Chosens to see whether either of them become useful again that's all we should be concerned about for the moment. Now, if you'll excuse me," Kratos stood, belting his sword on again "I shall go and see Yggdrasill."

Yuan snorted. "As you wish." He turned and left the room, watching Kratos walk away once he had closed the door behind him.

The smaller seraph shook his head. Kratos was letting his control slip. He shouldn't have referred to their Lord by his name alone, not that Yuan was going to let the overlord know that he had done that but still…if he didn't watch himself, he was going to end up in serious trouble. Yggdrasill was already keeping an eye on Kratos based on the fact that his son was involved and no matter what Kratos claimed, Yuan knew that the two months spent travelling with the teen had affected him.

He had come back…different. There was a spark of defiance in his eyes now when he looked at his superior, a sense that he didn't agree completely with his plans and ideals anymore. He was fortunate that Yuan wasn't completely on Yggdrasill's side either. Not that anyone knew that…other than the Renegades and Lloyd's little band of do-gooders. But he wasn't about to let anyone else know…that would be particularly stupid.

Still…he wondered just how much of an effect Lloyd had had on his father…and whether it was just Lloyd that was the cause of the subtle changes in Kratos' behaviour.

He spent all his time between Yggdrasill's meetings and missions either on the surface on errands of his own, or sitting in his room, doing nothing but thinking. Usually, you would walk into the seraph's room and he would be pouring through some book or other but now…now he just sat and thought.

Yuan shook his head. The behaviour vaguely resembled that of when Kratos had lost Anna and he wondered if perhaps the man had found someone on the surface that he held some affection for. He hoped not, for both of them but he made a note to scrutinise the group more thoroughly the next time he saw them. If it was the case, he might just be able to pick out which of them it was…surely she wouldn't be too hard to pick out.

With another shake of his head, Yuan turned, heading for his own quarters, wondering just what Kratos was getting himself into this time.

--

Raine sighed as they settled onto the ground in a patch of bright sunlight, taking a break for lunch. They were deep within the Gaoracchia forest and had been for a few hours, making their way steadily deeper through the thick flora.

If she was honest, the forest gave her a sense of unease. The lack of light and the closeness of the air gave the impression of being continuously smothered. The adrenaline from the fights they had engaged in didn't help either. It was only serving to make them all flighty and nervous, even Zelos, whom had previously teased Lloyd and Genis about being scared of the fake ghost story he had made up. As far as they were all concerned, the sooner they got out of the damned forest, the better. Te run in with the Papal knights at the entrance had done nothing to help settle the atmosphere and the group ate quickly under the thick black boughs of trees, continually looking up to the patch of bright blue sky for reassurance.

Once rested, they packed up quickly and quickly made their way east, dispatching ghost like monsters that seemed to be under the powers of a necromancer. Whispers and groans sounded at them from the trees and it was a relief when the plants finally began to thin, a few extra shafts of light hitting the ground in erratic patches.

They had just entered a particularly clear area when Colette stopped abruptly beside Lloyd. The rest of the group followed suit as a worried expression crossed Colette's face and she looked up one of the two dark paths ahead of them.

"I hear something…footsteps from far away…" Colette informed the rest of the group, her voice all but a whisper.

"I don't hear anything." Zelos shrugged and Raine shook her head in despair of Zelos' flippant nature. "Colette still has her angel senses."

"They're definitely footsteps. Also, the sound of clinking armour. There are lots of them. It's coming from that direction." She nodded to the northern path.

"That can't be good. Altessa lives over there. Could it be more of the same guys from earlier?" Lloyd asked, looking to the rest of the group for guidance. Raine nodded idly, presuming that it would still be the Papal knights. It sounded about right from Colette's description.

"I'll send Corrine out to scout." Sheena stated, summoning the spirit and he disappeared promptly up the track that Colette was facing.

There was tense silence held in the air for a moment and Raine took a deep breath, awaiting the outcome of Corrine's scouting mission…and then the rustle of branches and the thud of something landing heavily on the ground made the group spin and look to the source.

The convict. It was the leader of the convicts that had attacked them in the Meltokio sewers. The group backed up a step as he stood to his full height, towering over even Zelos who was the current tallest in the group.

The Chosen shook his head, recognising the man, instantly drawing connections.

"Man, it's just one thing after another with the Pope! Am I really that much of a problem to him?"

"I do not wish to fight you," the man stated, his voice gruff and hoarse, quietened in the thick air of the forest. "I just want to speak with that girl." His eyes locked onto Presea, just as he had done in the sewer.

"With Presea?" Lloyd turned his head to look at the curiously. Genis, on the other hand, was not about to take such a placid view of the situation.

"You've got to be kidding! Or did you forget that you tried to kill us?"

The man shook his head. "I cannot speak for any others, however, I, at least, never intended to take your lives. My orders were to retrieve a girl named Colette."

Colette looked to the convict curiously. "…Me?"

"I will do you no harm," he insisted quietly "Presea…is her name, correct? Please let me speak with her." He took a few steps towards the girl and Raine quickly looked over to Zelos and Sheena, noticing that they too were growing cautious, hands subtly moving to grasp at weapons.

Raine's hands tightened around her staff as she heard the man make a comment about the 'victims of exspheres' and she found the fact that he considered someone who possessed an exsphere to be a victim. Most people would be envious of the power that an exsphere could bestow upon it user…and, she noticed, he wasn't using one himself.

The man continued to approach Presea, lowering himself slightly so that he could look into her face more easily, bound hands beginning to move towards her and she suddenly recoiled, wrenching her axe free. The man jumped away alarmed and the next thing Raine knew, they were attacking the man.

He was fast and strong…incredibly so for a mere human…and one who used only their feet to fight. His attacks consisted of a series of furious kicks and spins and never once did his hands do anything more than reach out to steady himself. He was so strong, in fact, that Raine could practically see the bruises forming on skin the second his foot made contact with one of the fighters and she found herself taxed to cast enough healing and defensive spells in time to stop them from being completely obliterated by him. In the end, it was only their sheer number that overthrew him and a hard slam over the head from Presea with her axe rendered him unconscious. He fell to the floor limply, his breathing steady.

Raine exhaled slowly after the intensity of the fight.

"He sounds like he has reasons for his actions," she stated, looking at him. He was a dangerous foe and they would do well to keep an eye on him. "Perhaps we should take him prisoner? I'm sure he has much to tell us."

Indeed, with him involved with the Pope, there was a lot that they could potentially learn from him. There were a few hesitant nods from the rest of the group before the patter of paws on earth and the high squeak of a voice alerted them to the fact that Corrine had returned.

"Sheena! There were a lot of soldiers and they're all coming this way! Run away, quickly!"

"The footsteps…keep getting louder." Colette commented, looking anxiously at the path. Zelos shared the look.

"Uhh…shouldn't we get out of here?"

"But the Papal Knights are waiting for us if we go back." Lloyd pointed out. They were trapped from both sides…and they didn't know where the other path would take them…but even if they took it, they still needed a place to lay low until the knights stopped searching for them.

Sheena darted a look about th"e faces of the group before groaning quietly, desperation and hesitance evident in her voice as she spoke.

"It looks like we have no choice. I'll take you to the village of Mizuho."

Zelos snapped his head to her immediately. "Whoa there, Sheena. Isn't Mizuho a hidden village, kept secret from outsiders?"

"But we'll be trapped from both sides if we don't do something. There's nothing we can do but take shelter in the village."

Lloyd, for once, saw sense and decided not to protest. "Ok. Please show us the way, Sheena."

Sheena nodded before looking back to Zelos, teasingly.

"Hey, Zelos, carry the big guy for us."

Zelos lifted an eyebrow, looking down at the huge form as he approached. He crouched down, slipping his arms beneath his torso and tugged upwards. It had little effect other than to make the body shift upwards an inch and it was clear there was no chance of him lifting him.

"You want me to carry this ogre by myself? Are you kidding me?"

Colette stepped forwards smiling. "Here, I'll help. Zelos will have a hard time by himself."

"Aww, you're so nice, Colette! We Chosens have to look out for each other, right?"

Colette nodded cheerily as Zelos freed his hands from the unconscious body and the girl stepped forwards, lifting him easily with one hand.

"Oh, he's light then I thought. I can carry him myself." Colette smiled cheerfully and Zelos' face before adopting a look of embarrassed astonishment and he laughed nervously.

Raine shook her head in despair, thinking back to Genis and Lloyd not being able to move the sacred wood that Presea had carried so easily.

"Men are so useless these days."

Either they were loyal and completely useless, or the best thing that would ever happen to you…but they would end up leaving you in the end.

Sheena turned to them anxiously, apparently not quite as interested in the current topic as the rest of the group.

"Come on, we need to go!"

The nodded in agreement and Sheena quickly dashed past them, motioning for them to follow, leading them down the southern path. About half way down it, they turned, picking out a narrow dirt path between trees that would be otherwise invisible to the untrained eye.

They hurried down the path, among the trees and after a few minutes the trees began to thin further, giving way to flat grass land…and there, in the distance was a small village nestled at the foot of the mountains. The mystical village of Mizuho.

--

Mizuho was small and quaint, more a hamlet than a village and it was certainly smaller than Iselia. A handful of straw thatched houses stood around the village, crops growing in sparse patches around the edges of the villages, animals standing amongst them or wandering about the village unchecked.

Rustic was the only word Raine could think of describe it best as she observed the small stream that ran past a shrine and through the centre of the village.

Heads turned as the group entered the village, shock playing across the faces of the inhabitants as the strangers, led by Sheena, walked forwards nervously.

One of the men, dressed in full Mizuho battle dress, rushed forwards, anger blazing in his eyes.

"Sheena! What is the meaning of this? How could you bring outsiders into the village?!"

"I'm prepared to accept my punishment. Inform the Vice-Chief. I've brought the travellers from Sylvarant" Sheena answered, head held high as she addressed the man.

Dark eyes turned upon them. "From Sylvarant? You are from the dying world of Sylvarant?"

"Well, except for me." Zelos answered flippantly. Raine resisted the urge to smack him as she would Genis.

"I see," the man mused, pausing before turning his gaze back to his fellow ninja "Sheena, come with me. The rest of you, wait in front of the Chief's house."

Sheena nodded, following the man to the large house at the back of the village. Raine watched them go quietly, wondering just how much trouble Sheena was going to be in for her breaking of the rules and she made a move to follow her when the man Colette had placed on the floor groan quietly.

A moment later, her pulled himself up to sit on his haunches, his eyes running over the group encircling him wearily.

"Oh…he's awake." Colette noted watching as the man staggered to his feet. Raine once again was hit by his sheer size. He was a full foot taller than her, the top of her head just managing to reach the join between arm and shoulder.

Blue eyes cleared slightly as he stood. "Wh…where am I?"

"You're our prisoner. Don't try anything funny." Lloyd snapped warningly. The man's eyes narrowed a fraction.

"I like to think that I'm smart enough not to start trouble when I don't understand the situation."

"Lloyd, we should go and see if the Chief is ready to speak with us." Raine reminded him and the boy nodded, looking about the village as he turned and guided them to the house at the back.

The man from earlier, Orochi, was standing guard outside and he quickly informed them that the Vice-Chief was ready to see them. They entered immediately, the low voice of the man inside allowing them to approach.

Once in the room, they settled on the floor in front of the man and Sheena, Raine's eyes straying to a bed in the corner for a split second.

"Our leader, Chief Igaguri, is ill. I, the Vice-Chief, Tiga, shall speak on his behalf," Tiga called the groups attention to him. "Because Sheena failed to kill you, we, the people of Mizuho, now faces persecution from the Tethe'alla Royal Family and the Church of Martel."

Lloyd tilted his head. "Is that true?"

Tiga nodded. "At least from what I've heard. Now I have a question. People of Sylvarant, what do you plan to do in Tethe'alla, the land of your enemies?"

"I've been thinking about that for a long time," Lloyd answered quickly "Someone asked me why I came all the way to Tethe'alla…what it is that I want to do."

Raine's thoughts immediately flicked back to the Fooji mountains, just three days ago and she realised that they had only been in Tethe'alla for a week. It seemed longer, somehow…lie it was an age ago that Kratos had betrayed them because she was tired of feeling this way towards him. Loving and hating, always loving and hating him.

Lloyd was continuing with his answer and a smile tugged at Tiga's mouth.

"You are an idealist. The worlds of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant flourish only by victimizing the others. So long as that structure remains the same, anything you say is mere sophistry."

Lloyd stood up abruptly and Raine felt a sudden worry that he was about to say or do something ridiculously brash and stupid.

"Then we need to change that structure! This world was made by that Yggdrasill guy, right?! If a human or elf built this, then we should be able to change it as well!"

Raine smiled to herself. It may have been idealistic, but Lloyd had a point. Tiga laughed softly and kindly at the boy.

"You speak like the hero, Mithos. He was a sublime idealist. He ended the Ancient War by insisting there was a way for the two warring countries to coexist in peace. Are you saying you can become the next Mithos?"

"I'm not Mithos. I want to save the two worlds my way, with the help of my friends."

"In other words, you aren't worried about following past methods," Tiga paused, appearing to take a moment to think "Well then, we shall search for a new path as well."

Sheena jumped to her feet. "Vice-Chief, do you mean…"

He nodded. "Yes. We will use our information network to aid you. In return, when the path of prosperity for both worlds has been found, we wish to move our people to Sylvarant."

Lloyd looked uneasy at the man's request. "But I don't have any right to decide something like that."

"All we need is for you to aid us in our move."

Lloyd turned back to them, scanning the faces of his group, looking for reassurance. "Is everyone ok with us joining forces with the people of Mizuho?"

Each of them, with exception of the convict and Presea, agreed and Lloyd grinned, turning back to Tiga and informing him of the situation. Tiga quickly accepted and ordered Sheena to accompany and aid the group.

It was only Zelos who threw up an obstacle and Raine had to admit that she was quite impressed that he managed to think of it.

"But Tiga, you sure you wanna turn the Royals and the Church against you like that?"

"How about if I ask you?" The vice-chief replied easily "Given a choice between the forces which wish to sacrifice one of the worlds, and the force that wishes to preserve both worlds, which would you side with?"

"I'd like to say, "the one that's likely to win," but I suppose I'd want to help the side that wants to preserve both worlds."

Raine lifted an eyebrow at the comment. 'the one that's likely to win'? Did that mean he thought they were the winning side or was he just taking the moral high ground, regardless of their chances? If she was honest, it didn't seem like a very Zelos-esque thing to do…there was nothing in it for him.

"The first thing we shall do is devote all our resources to locating the Rheairds. Fortunately, it appears that Sheena attached a guardian to the Rheairds, so we should be able to locate them shortly." Tiga continued gand Raine felt her mood lift a little. They finally had a plan of action and the path ahead of them seemed to be cleared a little. If that could happen with her emotions, she'd be on a winning road.

Lloyd thanked him quietly and they turned and left the house, clustering together outside to discuss what was going to happen now…more specifically, what they were going to do with the man who had attacked them. Lloyd turned to him.

"What's your name?"

"…Regal." The man answered shortly.

"Regal, huh? I'm sorry, but we're gonna have to keep you prisoner for a bit longer."

"Lloyd," Zelos called, looking the man up and down. "How about lettin' pops here fight, too?"

"Even though he might betray us?" Genis protested, glaring at the man who had to be at least three time his size.

"He has business with Presea, right? Then, he's not going to try anything before he gets a chance to speak with her, you know?"

"Actually, that's not a bad idea." Raine stated, looking over at Zelos. It seemed he could use his head properly from time to time.

Genis protested loudly and she shrugged at him. He was going to have to learn not to let his emotions get in the way of progress. If the man was a useful ally, they should make use of him, regardless of whether they liked him or not.

"…Well?" Lloyd asked, "Will you fight alongside us for now?"

Regal took a moment to think about it before agreeing. "All right. I swear upon my good name, and these shackles that bind me, I shall not betray you."

"If you do anything even the slightest bit suspicious, I'll burn you to a crisp, got it?" Genis warned. The man lifted an eyebrow but nodded, a little patronisingly.

"Well, then, welcome to our group, Regal!" Colette greeted, smiling at the man warmly.

With yet another member added and the path clear ahead of them, for the moment, they turned and left the village of Mizuho. The next step…to find Altessa and save Presea.

* * *

A.N: Hope it was enjoyable.

Reviews greatly appreciated as always.

Since I won't update before Christmas Day:

Merry Christmas! Have a good one :)


	27. Internal Strife

A.N: I'd like to first of all apologize for the delay in the update, but I did explain last week why this was delayed.

Secondly, I would like to thank Lupanari for reviewing the last chapter because she was, in fact, the only person who reviewed.

On that point...generally, I'm not overly bothered about getting hundreds of reviews for each chapter, although it is nice to. I am grateful for any reviews, but feedback is very important to me because I honestly want to know what you think. I appreciate people have lives outside fanfiction (shock, horror even I do) and that you're often busy and sometimes you simply can't think of anything to say. I'll make it clear at this point that I do appreciate criticism, providing it's constructive. If I write something (even an entire chapter) that doesn't sit right with you, please let me know so I can improve my writing. The chances are that if one person notices it, so do others. I admit I prefer happy, positive reviews but I do have to create a balanced view of my writing. So...not to whine, go on about it and sound childish and demanding but I say it again: Reviews are _hugely_ appreciated.

As a final point about the fic...Tabatha comes in in this chapter and I've written her speech in **bold**, rather than the CAPITAL LETTERS SPEECH. Simply because it gives the impression of shouting and really grates on my eyes. I know a few people who agree with that too. So...that was just if you're wondering why.

Anyway, rant over, I'll get on with posting the fic now.

Enjoy!

* * *

Internal Strife

Dawn broke over the world in soft shafts of light changing steadily from colour to colour until the bright blue of the sky replaced them all.

By that time the group journeying to save the world were already moving again, heading for the small village of Ozette to return Presea to her home.

They had slept a few miles from the Gaorrachia forest having travelled through it in the near dark the night before and had woken early to continue onto the village. Raine mentally counted off the seventh day of the Sylvarant team's time in Tethe'alla.

Eventually, they reached the woods that surrounded Ozette and made their way into the dense collection of trees. It took at least another hour for them to reach the slope that led them up into the village and Raine glanced to her right. There was a steep drop and a house at the base, another ramp running down to it.

The village itself was small and stuffy, dark and lit by lanterns even in the light of day. It had a strange set-up, tiered as if they couldn't spread out, only up. The thick seemingly magically suspended paths of earth that led up and around the village reminded Raine of those that had run on the inside of the Tower of Salvation and she involuntarily shifted a little, drawing her coat tighter about her.

Presea, on the other hand, didn't seem nearly so concerned and she dashed away from the group without a word, presumably heading for her home.

A second later they were following her path through the village but as they walked, Raine couldn't help but notice the hostile looks that they were receiving and she wondered if they knew they were connected with Presea or whether they just didn't like outsiders. After asking one individual which way Presea had gone, they had received a grunt, spit and point.

Following the less than friendly man's directions they followed the curving slope down to the basin that Raine had noticed when they had entered the village. At the base they found the rundown building, set upon a bed of rock. There were no lanterns down here and the pale house looked ghostly, as if it were an illusion in the dim light. The only things that seemed to be in colour were the two people standing outside the house. One of them was Presea, the other and odd purple haired man dressed in green and Raine could have sworn she had seen him before somewhere.

"Porters…" Presea replied to the man as they approached.

"Oh, I see…"

"Presea!" Genis stepped forward, his voice determined. "We have to make a Key Crest for you!"

"My job awaits…goodbye…"

The girl turned away and disappeared into the house, leaving the group floored. Raine's eyes flicked to the purple haired man immediately, suspicious of him.

"Only Presea can retrieve the sacred wood used in the ritual at the church. I'm quite pleased that she has finally returned." He commented before giving a bizarre cackle and disappearing.

"That man…he's a half-elf." She stated to the rest of the group.

"He is?" Lloyd questioned. "Now that you mention it, didn't we see him in Meltokio, too?..."

"He's creepy." Colette murmured, drawing a little closer to Lloyd and Raine smiled to herself a little at the girl's observation.

"I agree. But…uh…I gotta say that I feel sorry for the guy. I mean he has to deal with the fact that there are magnificent specimens of males around like me." Zelos commented, sniggering to himself.

Regal and Raine turned to him questioningly. What did that have to do with anything, other than the fact the man was not especially attractive?

"I'd say you two are on the same level." Genis smirked.

"I heard that, you little twerp!"

"At any rate," Regal cut in firmly before the two had a chance to get into a full argument and Raine was quietly thankful to him. It seemed that he was proving useful already. "We should have a talk with Presea."

"Yeah." Lloyd agreed quickly, leading the group into the house before Genis and Zelos had another chance to verbally butcher each other.

They entered the house quickly…and immediately wished they hadn't as they gathered in the reception area. It was dark, musty and stale, the air felt damp but it was the smell that hit them the worst.

It was thick and heavy, hanging in the air as if it could never be removed and hands immediately flew to cover noses and mouths.

Lloyd coughed and choked loudly on the putrid grimy smell and Raine felt that it would never leave her clothes again.

"That smell…" Lloyd choked.

Presea seemed oblivious to it, dashing in and out of the room with near sightless eyes, carrying objects back and forth, unheeding.

"Look!…" Colette gasped, pointing through to the other room to the bed that Presea was straightening the covers of before dashing away again. They slowly made their way into the room and the smell only intensified.

Swallowing thickly, Raine stepped out of the group towards the bed. From the smell alone she could probably guess what was there, but as the only healer she felt inclined to take a look.

Approaching the bed hesitantly, she could just see the off-white dome of a skull, thin pieces of grey and black flesh clinging to it, curled and peeling, the little moisture left in the flakes still drying out. With every step the full head became clearer and she was left staring at a skull covered loosely in tatters of rotting flesh. Flies buzzed around the corpse and she had to take a step away from the overwhelming stench, feeling bile rise up into her throat and choke her.

"…how horrible…" It was the only thing she could think of to say. It was unprofessional but the sight was so horrible, the smell so overpowering and notion of how long this body must have been lying in the bed so sickening that no other words would come out.

"What the…" Zelos questioned, his usual light expression twisted into one of fear and disgust. "this is not cool."

"How could this happen?" Sheena asked, looking towards Presea, still dashing around and the others' gaze followed.

Raine swallowed thickly again, trying to set her thoughts straight as her eyes locked onto the exsphere between Presea's collarbones. Anything was better than looking at the rotted body in the bed.

"Most likely the effect of Exspheres' parasitism. Presea has no idea what's become of the person in that bed."

"How could that…" Genis started, but Regal cut across him quietly by speaking to the girl in question.

"Presea. Are you not coming with us?"

"I must…do my job…" she answered simply.

"…Let's leave Presea here for now." Raine suggested and Lloyd's head snapped to her, his eyes wide.

"Here?!"

"If we try to move her, she will just fight back," she explained "Let's go see Altessa by ourselves to ask him about repairing the Key Crest."

Grudgingly the rest of the group agreed and they quickly hurried from the house, trying to escape the rotting smell.

Colette stumbled on the way out and she was quickly hefted to her feet as Lloyd questioned her well being as the rest took the directed road out of the village to Altessa's house.

--

Altessa's home was little more than a cave carved into a basin wall, the entire area formed out of soft yellow sandstone. They approached quickly and, knocking on the heavy wood door, entered the dim workshop.

A young woman dressed in a short skirted, long sleeved, brown white and green dress with a tail stood before the entrance, her long pale green hair hanging down to mid thigh. Green eyes turned upon the group, curiosity in the slightly glassy gaze.

"**Who is it?" **She asked, her speech stilted and monotonous.

Lloyd didn't answer immediately, thrown slightly by her manner of speaking, and Raine couldn't blame him for it as he fumbled. He came to his senses again after a moment.

"Ah, excuse us. We've heard that there is a dwarf living here. Is there any chance we could see him?"

"**You desire a meeting with Master Altessa. Please come inside.**"

She made a gesture with her hand, leading the group inside and down two flights of stairs into a small work area. A stocky dwarf stood at the workbench, a long bushy grey beard hanging down, tucked into his belt, his huge eyebrows all but obscuring his eyes.

"Who are you people?" He questioned gruffly as the group entered, apparently not appreciating the intrusion.

Lloyd stepped forward to answer him. "My name is Lloyd. We've come in regards to Presea. We heard about you from Kate in Sybak."

The huge eyebrows lifted for a moment before dropping, knitting together. "…Leave!" He ordered.

"What?"

"I don't want anything more to do with that girl! Get out of here!"

Confronted with such anger at just the mention of a girl's name, the group backed off, meeting on the upper level beside the door they had come in through. The girl joined them again a moment later.

"**I apologize. The Master does not want to get involved with Presea.**"

"Why?" Genis snapped. "He doesn't care if she dies?!" Raine rested her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm the boy.

"**It is not that,**" Tabatha answered, her expression sorrowful "**It is because the Master regrets what he has done.**"

What he has done? What had he done? Raine found her curiosity piqued. What could someone have done to make them _not _want to aid a person? Surely if you felt guilty having done something wrong, your natural reaction is to try and do something to rectify it, not turn your back on the problem.

"All she needs is for her Key Crest to be fixed." Colette was pleading. Tabatha met her gaze evenly.

"…**I do not know if that would truly be in her best interest.**"

"Why? How could anything be worse than living in that cruel condition while waiting to die?!" Lloyd snapped.

"**If you are that committed, then you should search for inhibitor ore.**"

"Presea's Key Crest isn't made out of inhibitor ore?" Lloyd answered, jerking slightly in surprise. It was no surprise that the girl was in the state she was considering that.

"**Correct. Her crest is…**"

"Tabatha!" Called Altessa from the lower level, obviously having heard the voices "What are you doing? Get rid of them!"

"**I apologize, I must return. Please come back again. I will attempt to persuade him.**"

Tabatha turned and left promptly, leaving the group to show themselves out. They did so quickly, gathering outside to speak in private.

"Where can we find the inhibitor ore?" Colette questioned, only focused on aiding Presea despite the suspicious behaviour of Altessa.

"I've heard it's mined in the mountain range that extends between Altamira and the Ymir Forest," Regal answered "I would like to help if you're going to create a Key Crest for Presea. I can lead you to the mine."

"Just what is your relation to Presea, anyway?" Suspicion in his voice for once.

"There is none." Regal answered.

"Yet you sure seem concerned about her." Raine commented. Regal ignored her comment and Lloyd shrugged.

"Well, either way, you haven't done anything suspicious so far. You're welcome to come along with us."

Regal nodded informing them of where the mine was situated, mentioning some city in the process. Zelos seemed rather excited about visiting the place but Sheena shut him down quickly. The only thing Raine was currently concerned about was the words 'across the sea from here.'

Nevertheless they turned and left Altessa's home, retracing their steps back through Ozette and the north to the coast, hoping to find a place where they could disembark from.

Once they had they set out onto the sea, Undine directing them slowly south. The course they had to travel, however, took them around the outskirts of the continent they were currently on and then half way around the coast of the other. It took hours, the journey trickling by in a seemingly never-ending stream and for the entire time, Raine could only sit and think. She spoke little to the others in the confined space, too nervous about the expanse of water they were crossing and when Genis brought some readily prepared sandwiches from his pack, she found herself too sick to eat.

Time still continued to drag by and the EC was called to a temporary halt, the group piling out and dashing behind a cluster of bushes to relieve themselves before they continued onto the southern continent. Raine stepped out, taking deep steadying breaths as she did, glancing up at the sky. It was beginning to pale to yellow, sunset beginning to seep into the sky. The day was nearing its end and the group hurried to re-enter the boat. Raine found herself ever more reluctant to expose herself to that torment again but…just as she refused to let Kratos' betrayal beat her, so too did she refuse to let this fear of water halt the progression of their journey.

She clambered back into the ship, settling herself onto the floor. Eventually, through the stuffy heat of the small holding cabin, the exhaustion of travelling and the simple time of day, she found her head drooping and before long she was sound asleep, dreaming fitfully on the jerking floor of the vehicle.

--

Raine moaned softly as something poked at her shoulder softly, a male voice gently calling her name. For a second she thought it might be…

"Professor Raine! Wake up, woman!"

Her eyes flew up and she lifted her head, finding the blue gaze of Zelos staring down at her. A smirk wrote itself across his face.

"Interesting dream?"

She ran her hand through her hair, eyebrows furrowing at Zelos' comment. "Why?"

"You were moaning and moving around a lot and…" he glanced around to see if anyone was watching them and finding them all to be outside of the EC.

"And?" Raine questioned.

"I'm sure the name 'Kratos' came up."

Raine pursed her lips, trying to appear annoyed with the man whilst her mind raced. She had called Kratos name in her sleep? And in what tone? She didn't remember the dream herself. Perhaps he was just trying to wind her up but he had no evidence as to her having any strong feelings towards Kratos to promote such a move.

"He betrayed us and tried to kill us little more than a week ago. Is it not natural that I would harbour some reaction to that?"

Zelos straightened. "I guess so. Not accusing you of anything hunny, just thought you might like to know. By the way, we've got breakfast going on up here so hurry up and come eat."

Raine nodded, rising to her feet and realising she was still on the EC as it gave a lurch beneath her. She scrambled off onto firm land in a hurry.

They ate breakfast quickly, packed up the equipment and the EC and then began their trek inland. The entrance to the mine was a few miles inland, but they were hoping to make it within the hour.

Soon enough they came upon it, little more than a large hole carved into the mountain side from first looks, a wooden frame holding the entrance open. Regal was first to step into the shadow of the tunnel, apparently comfortable in the darkness. Lloyd and the rest of the group followed a few moments later, making their way steadily inwards.

It was not, as Raine had originally suspected, pitch black, for there were still strategically placed lamps burning in their holders on the walls of the tunnels until they came into a large reception area. Regal walked over to the huge doors barring entrance to the mine. He frowned.

"…This isn't good."

"What's wrong, Regal?" Lloyd asked.

"The guard system is out of control. Someone must have destroyed it trying to force their way through."

Lloyd shrugged. "Then let's bust it up even more!"

Zelos grinned. "That's our Lloyd! An easy to understand plan!"

"Yeah. I'm fine with that, too." Sheena nodded and Raine noticed Regal's eyebrows lift with every statement.

"…Honestly!" Raine tutted shaking her head even as Lloyd and the others rushed for the defence system. She noticed that Regal stood back, watching Lloyd, Sheena, Colette and Zelos hack away at the machine with bemusement. She herself stood on the outskirts watching them lay into the machine. Her attack would have no effect here and she was content to throw the occasional healing spell out towards them whenever they managed to get caught out by one of the mechanical arms or guard robots.

After some time of hacking at it, the machine fell and with a metal thud and electric fizz it fell silent. The doors unlocked.

"Ok, good work everyone!" Zelos called, grinning at Sheena in particular "Now, let's go get that whatchamacallit."

"Inhibitor ore!" Genis supplied and Zelos glared at him for a second before brushing it off.

"Yeah, that! Come on, let's go!"

Seeing no reason to loiter, Raine nodded, stepping forwards into the main mine with the rest of the group, noting that Regal hung behind for a second before rejoining them in their quest for inhibitor ore.

--

It took a number of hours to make their way through the mines, having to avoid or fight the various monsters that had taken up residence there with the human absence, courtesy of the mine being entirely self-operational. The fact that there were huge boulders blocking the way that had to be blown up, the Gnomlette creature that they had come across demanding potion and the Naploosa Bacura had not helped their progression in the slightest.

Now though, they stood with the inhibitor ore tucked away in one of the packs, at the front of the mine, confronting none other than the man who had previously been Presea's employer. Raine felt dirty just being in the wretched man's presence.

"It's no good, there're no Exspheres around here, either…" he was muttering.

"…Vharley!" Regal exclaimed and the huge man slowly turned to face the group.

"Regal!" he paused, considering them "So you're the one who destroyed the guard system outside."

Raine heard Lloyd lean over to Zelos and whisper "Who's that?"

"That's…Vharley, the Exsphere broker."

"Why are you here?!" Regal snapped, glaring at the man and Raine looked up at him. There was a deep anger in his eyes that she was surprised to see in the usually calm man…it was almost as shocking as Kratos' reaction to Kvar had been.

"Why has the Pope let you stay free? That's not what I agreed to!"

Vharley laughed harshly "Did you think the Pope would really keep a promise to a murderer? And you forgot your promise to bring us Colette! You joined with them instead!"

"_Murderer!?"_

"Silence! If the Pope will not fulfill his promise, then I will punish you myself!" The blue haired man stepped forwards menacingly and Raine could understand just why Vharley chose that moment to turn and flee along with the two soldiers with him.

Regal seethed silently at the retreating figure before taking a calming breath, shaking his head. The group backed off a little and it was Colette who had the guts to approach the man again first.

"Regal, who is that man?"

"He called you a murderer…" Genis added quietly, half accusing, half scared.

"I am a prisoner serving time for the crime of murder," the man answered simply "I won't blame you if you look down on me."

"What happened?" Lloyd asked and Raine turned her head to look at her student, wondering if perhaps the boy was starting to learn that you can't take people at face value and that not everything was black and white. Perhaps he realised that, like with his father murdering his mother, Regal might have a story too. Or...he could just be a cold blooded killer, though he didn't appear to be so. Nevertheless, Raine made a mental note to keep a closer eye on him.

"Explaining would be an excuse. I committed a crime. That's all that needs to be said."

Lloyd let his head drop. "…My stupid actions have killed many people," he started "…I don't know what you did, and your crime won't go away, but when you're suffering, it's all right at least say so."

"…Perhaps someday I will have the opportunity to tell the story… I apologize…" Regal answered, looking away from the rest of the group.

Raine watched him intently for a moment before turning away. "We've got what we came for, we should head back to Ozette as quickly as possible. It will take the rest of the day to get back to the other continent so we should leave now."

Agreeing, the group turned away and left the mine, heading back to the coast where they had clambered off the EC and there they disembarked for Ozette.

--

The sun was rising over the world once again when the EC finally docked at the coast a little way from Ozette and its passengers climbed out, weary and ill and glad to be able to see the sun and breathe the fresh air again. And move without elbowing someone in the face or side.

Stretching out their limbs they began a slow walk to Ozette, nibbling on the sandwiches Genis had made as they went. Lloyd walked at the front, keeping an eye out for signs of enemies with Zelos whilst the others ate before reversing the roles until everyone had been fed and watered for the day.

An hour or two slid by just walking back to the heavily wooded area around Ozette and light seemed to suddenly disappear as they entered. Making their way through the darkness and flora, they eventually came to the slope that led up into the village. They climbed it with more eagerness than usual, the thought of helping Presea and getting her out of the house below spurring them on.

It was as they reached the top of the slope to the middle tier of the village that Lloyd and Zelos realised something was not quite right. The papal knights speaking to one of the villagers, who was now pointing an accusatory finger at them, was a sure sign of that.

"Ah crap, not the Papal Knights again!" Zelos grumbled, frowning as he looked at the green armoured men.

"Why do they always show up where we're going?!" Sheena asked and Raine shifted slightly. They couldn't, unless there was someone in their group informing them. Her eyes slid to Regal immediately.

"Remember, capture Colette alive!" The Captain ordered as the knights surrounded them.

A second later they were locked in a furious battle once again. Raine cast photon immediately, giving the others time to work of one of the other knights as her victim stood stunned and she quickly called up a defensive spell as a bolt of lightening shot towards her.

At least by now they had learned something of their battle tactics and had the sense to target her as the healer. Not that that was good for her, but the others rushed to surround her, warding the blows away as the knights attacked.

One by one they fell, until the golden clad captain was the only one left. He succumbed quickly under the combined might of the group.

"We managed to win…" Lloyd panted, wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow before cleaning and sheathing his swords.

"It's my fault again," Colette murmured, hands clasped in front of her. "I'm so sorry, everyone."

Zelos rolled his eyes as the group turned to face her. She honestly believed that it was entirely her fault and Raine was actually glad for Zelos' presence when he spelt it out for her.

"Don't be silly. They're after my life, too. The Professor and Genis are wanted because they're half-elves. Sheena is from Mizuho, now considered a village of traitors. And Regal is considered a traitor as well."

Colette looked to the ground. "…Thanks."

"Stop thinking everything's your fault." Lloyd scolded her softly and he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. Her head fell further and Raine frowned as she looked at the girl. She seemed to have suddenly gone very pale.

"I'm sorry Lloyd."

"You don't need to apologize for it…"

Lloyd pulled his hand away, smiling softly at the girl. It faded instantly as she suddenly fell to her knees, clutching at her upper body and whimpering in pain, shaking as it ran through her. Raine darted forwards, pushing her way through the rest of the group to reach the girl.

"Colette?!" Lloyd asked, kneeling down and reaching out to the girl. He looked up at Raine as she approached, his face drawn with worry. "Professor! Colette's!…"

She rested her hand against the girl's forehead and frowned. "She's running a fever. But what could be causing this much pain?"

Colette continued to whimper and Lloyd reached out for her again.

"…Move…" a voice murmured in all but a whisper and Raine turned to see Presea standing behind her. "please leave this…to me…"

"Presea?" Raine's eyes strayed to the axe in her hand. "A…alright." She agreed reluctantly, walking away from her student.

When the rest of the group didn't retreat she suddenly swung her axe at them, sending them leaping back before turning to Colette, lifting her axe and striking her hard with the handle of it.

Colette slumped to the side, unconscious.

Raine's eyes widened and Lloyd darted a step forward. It was only Presea standing over the girl, axe in hand and glaring at him darkly that stopped him from getting to her.

"Presea, what are you…"

"Good work, Presea." A voice drawled from behind the group. A moment later the purple haired man they had seen earlier was pushing his way through the group to her side as two dragons swooped down towards them.

Raine took a step back, vaguely registering Lloyd drawing his swords as the purple reptiles descended. Sheena swore loudly. "Damn! Corrine!"

The small fox like creature burst into view in a cloud of smoke, darting towards Presea and striking her hard, knocking her to the ground even as the purple haired man, climbed up onto one of the dragons, the other snatching Colette up in a huge claw, talons folding about her.

The man looked down at the group, a smug smirk on thin, twisted lips.

"I am Rodyle!" he announced from the back of the creature "The most cunning of the Desian Grand Cardinals! I hope you don't mind me taking the Chosen One."

He laughed loudly, shrilly almost as the dragon wheeled about and flew away into the distant skies, leaving the group watching, helpless to do anything.

"Colette!" Lloyd cried as the girl was carried out of sight, his shoulders slumping when he realised there was nothing he could do and he spun around to face the group, anger and panic written across his youthful face. "Why are the Desians in Tethe'alla?!"

Raine shook her head slowly, not understanding, her mind too busy trying to process the events that had just occurred to even consider it. And things were still moving on. She sighed inwardly as Regal crossed to the girl lying on the floor despite the fact that everyone else hung back, hesitant of approaching the girl who had just attacked and deceived them. The sooner they could get that key crest on her, the better.

"Lloyd. Will you help Presea?" Regal asked quietly, kneeling at the girl's side as she slowly regained consciousness.

Lloyd hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly, swallowing. Raine was proud he could look over what she had just done and help her.

The teen crossed to the girl, kneeling beside her and fixing the new key crest onto her Cruxis crystal and she slowly looked up, her dull gaze brightening as he stood and backed away, giving her space. A questioning, confused breath passed her lips.

"Presea?" Genis asked quietly, and Raine smiled to herself. Trust Genis to be the first to make a move to help her. "Are you ok?"

Presea looked up at him, confusing dawning in blue eyes as she met his gaze "What? What am I doing?" she breathed, clambering to her feet and looking about, worry writing itself over her face. "Where's my daddy?"

Raine swallowed thickly at the question. How did they tell a twelve year old girl that her father was dead and had been for a number of years? And she had been oblivious the entire time.

The group remained silent, glancing to each other, unsure and uncomfortable. Raine spoke first. The girl had to know one way or the other.

"Presea…perhaps we should go to your home and we can speak there. I'm afraid we have some bad news."

--

They lead Presea down to her home, watching with bated breath and wrenching hearts as the girl discovered her father's body, screaming hysterically as she realised who it was, collapsing to her knees and weeping quietly.

"I…what have I been doing?" she gasped between sobs, crouched beside the bed in the house that reeked of death.

Eventually, they were forced to move the girl and the body of her father, helping her to dig a grave and lay the body to rest inside it, watching as tears fell down pale cheeks the entire time until she wiped them away forcefully.

"…Thank you for assisting me with my daddy's burial." She whispered, her voice still uneven with grief.

"Have you calmed down a little?" Raine asked softly, her heart going out to the girl. It was so hard to know you had lost someone for good especially for someone of her age.

The girl nodded slightly before lifting her head and looking around at the group.

"I've…been a great burden on you all." She stated, grief still haunting innocent blue eyes.

"You remember?" Lloyd asked, surprised.

"Yes…mostly…"

The girl's voice was so quiet, so soft that it was barely perceptible amongst the chirping of the crickets and birds in the dim little hollow. Raine found herself having to listen intently to pick up what the girl was saying, from gaining the Cruxis crystal from Vharley, the experimentation and work to answering the questions Regal put to her, just as quietly, about her family. She had no one left.

Sheena voiced everybody's thoughts. "We can't just leave you here in this village by yourself if you have no one to turn to."

"Yes," Raine agreed "the people of this village seem to avoid her."

"I…uh…I'd like to go with all of you if that would be all right." Presea requested quietly, looking to Lloyd. It was interesting how everybody assumed him to be the leader, despite his young age.

"Why?" Lloyd tilted his head.

"…It's my fault that Colette was taken away. So please, let me help in her rescue."

Lloyd walked forwards a couple of paces so that he could face the rest of the group. "Is this ok with everyone else?"

"We've come all this way together. Do you even need to ask at this point?" Sheena answered, shrugging. Zelos agreed with her.

"I'm ok with it." Genis smiled timidly at Presea.

Raine looked at the girl then to the rest of the group. Genis was so hung up on the girl and Regal interested in her to such a degree that she found it unsettling. And they didn't need another member to the group, there would be eight of them when they got Colette back, hardly an inconspicuous number, which would make travelling difficult.

"…Truthfully, I'd like to oppose this, but I already knew it would end up like this."

"…Well, there you go." Lloyd stated, grinning back at Presea "Lend us your help."

"I will!"

"Now let's hurry and find Colette." Raine stated. They had wasted too much time…god knows what would happen to Colette with that man around.

"All right, they headed east." Lloyd answered, gazing up at the sky in the direction the dragons had flown off with Colette in.

"So you've lost the Chosen." A snide voice commented from the shadows.

Raine spun to face the source instantly, anger flaring as she recognised the owner, the mocking tone. Who was he to think himself so superior? It wasn't like he had never made a mistake and she felt tempted to make a comment about Anna's death to him. Except that would give the man's identity to Lloyd and besides that, she was better than such low tricks and harmful comments.

"You again!" Lloyd spat as Kratos stepped out of the shadows. The seraph's eyes cast over Regal for a second, taking in the new member. "What have you done with Colette?!"

The garnet gaze snapped back to Lloyd. "Rodyle is ignoring our orders and acting on his own. I know nothing of it." He answered casually but Raine was sure she could just make out an undertone of embarrassment in his voice.

"Internal strife?" In a tone similar to that which he had used to mock them "How pathetic." Raine spat.

His gaze changed straight from his son to his former lover, hardening as he looked at her and he realised that this was in fact the first time she had spoken to him since he had betrayed her. His lips pursed for the fleetest of seconds as he considered his response, still holding her gaze, meeting it with as much passiveness as she was giving him anger. Lloyd looked up at the standoff between his teacher and former mentor.

Kratos shrugged. "Say what you will." He dismissed, just as she had when Sheena had accused her of being devious. "Either way, he will have no choice but to abandon the Chosen."

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked, calling Kratos' attention back to him.

"The Chosen is useless as she is now. You can let her be."

"You got to be kidding me! We're going to rescue Colette no matter what! And if you get in our way…"

Lloyd's swords were out again instantly, swinging wildly at Kratos. The elder swordsman simply drew his own blade, blocking the attack and flicking the sword out of Lloyd's hand, just as he had done in Sybak.

"Then, I suggest you seek the Rheairds and head for the eastern skies." Kratos commented, sheathing his blade. "I'm sure the people of Mizuho have located the Rheairds by now." His eyes flicked back to Raine's blue stare before he turned and left.

Raine watched him go, anger and hurt blazing in her chest, knotting her stomach as the rest of the group discussed what to do now. She found herself annoyed that they were following his advice…but it did make sense. The only question was: _why _was he helping them?

Mulling over the question, Raine remained silent as the group turned and headed to Mizuho.

* * *

A.N: I think I said everything that I felt needed to be said at the beginning so...thanks for reading and...as I said before, reviews greatly appreciated.


	28. Infiltration

A.N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I won't name names this time but thanks to those of you who don't typically review. It is highly appreciated.

There are no notes for this chapter, except the usual so...

Enjoy!

* * *

Infiltration

Kratos sighed as he drew his wings out from his back, standing at the base of the mountain range surrounding Mizuho and Ozette, musing quietly to himself as he felt his mana flow out and materialise.

It seemed that Lloyd's group had gone and made a bit of a faux par. _How _they had managed to lose the chosen, he wasn't sure. They usually kept quite a close watch on the girl, but all he knew now was that Rodyle had her and they were about to go gallivanting after him, be it wise or not.

They needn't worry about him taking her back to Cruxis though. He was acting on his own will and besides, she was useless now that she had regained her conscience. Still he wondered what exactly Rodyle was planning to do with her. It didn't matter though to be honest, so long as she survived. She may become useful to Cruxis again in future, but for the moment, she was simply important only to the group but if she was lost, part of their will would go with it, which they couldn't afford if they wanted to complete their goals.

It didn't particular bother Kratos whether they did complete their goals or not at the moment…it was simply the well being of certain members of the group that concerned him. And that was something he still wasn't assured of.

Physically, they all appeared to be fine, and the inclusion of a new member to their group may well be beneficial to them but the general reception was a bad sign.

They were still angry with him, which he couldn't blame them for. He had betrayed and tried to kill them, and it was only just over a week ago, though it seemed like much longer since he had been travelling with them, so it was unsurprising that the emotional wounds hadn't healed yet. His constant reappearance doubtless wasn't helping either but if they wanted to know where to find Colette, it was necessary this time.

Still, the fact that it was understandable for them to be angry with him didn't make it any easier to see it in their eyes and faces.

Raine's utter contempt and hatred for him had stung, the way she spat the words at him. What she had said hadn't bothered him, it was merely the tone, the hatred behind it, the fact that she was trying to injure his pride because he had done that to her. He deserved it…that didn't mean he had to appreciate it. His response had been the most neutral he could give her.

He brushed a hand through his hair briefly before launching himself into the air, still letting his thoughts travel through his mind…and he found himself realising the effect that these people were having on him. He was growing soft.

Before, even if he had felt a slight appreciation for the members of a group the chosen had travelled with, he would've been distant from them, able to do the unthinkable if required.

But this time, it had been different. Whether it was, Raine or Lloyd alone or the combined effect…he was no longer thinking straight and sooner or later, it was going to come back to bite him.

At the moment all it was doing was causing him some emotional upset, which was a big enough sign that something wasn't right with him but if Yggdrasill found out what he was doing, he'd be consigned to more torture than one could possibly imagine.

Shaking his head, he changed direction slightly, beating his wings to lift himself into an air current so that he could coast back to the Tower more easily. He had not found what he was looking for in Ozette, only them and as much as he appreciated being able to check up on them, that hadn't been his intention. But the damage was done, and now all he could hope for is that they would get Colette back and take out the problem of Rodyle in the process.

--

Raine groaned inwardly as the group made their way to the coast again, intending to find the area where they could depart from into the sea once more.

Yesterday, after leaving Ozette following Colette's kidnapping, they had travelled to Mizuho, only to find that Kratos had been right. Tiga had informed them that they had found the Rheiards and they would be able to recover them soon…or at least, after they had formed a pact with Volt. An idea that had sent Sheena into a panic and they had discovered why she was so worried about forming pacts.

She had failed last time, and a quarter of Mizuhos' population had been wiped out. Lloyd had somehow encouraged her to take on the task again and she had accepted.

So now they were heading out to sea again, north to the Temple of Lightning.

Hands gripping her staff firmly, Raine followed the rest of the group, noting how quiet Lloyd and Genis in particular were without the young girl around. The whole group seemed rather downtrodden, spurred on only by the idea of getting her back and words were rarely spoken even as they climbed into the EC and headed north to the isle that held the temple of lightning. It still took a few hours to get there and Raine was stiff and sore when they climbed out and walked into the temple.

The temple itself, like those in Sylvarant, was filled with traps and devices which, though fascinating to Raine, only slowed their progress and served to annoy the already antsy Sheena. After some time spent destroying different coloured blocks, running about in the dark, erecting and lowering lightning rods they finally came the one that would activate Volt's appearance. Lloyd pushed the button on the front hesitantly, attracting a bolt of lightning that crashed into it with a deafening roar.

Volt materialised before them a few seconds later, appearing to be nothing more than a ball of electricity with eyes.

"It's finally time." Lloyd turned back to Sheena and she nodded, her face and eyes hardening as she looked up at the summon spirit.

She let out a breath. "…Here I go!" She paced forwards, back straight, fists clenched and meeting the red yellow gaze of Volt.

Raine slid her eyes over to Sheena at the soft electric hum came from Volt in response, informing her that he was bound to Mithos. She wondered just how Sheena knew what he was saying…she was human, surely she didn't have the capacity to?

"It's just like before!" Sheena yelped, turning back to look at the rest of the group with wide panicked eyes. "What the hell is he saying?!"

"Sheena, calm down. I'll translate."

She hadn't thought Sheena would know how to understand Volt's language. It was one based purely on the vibrations in the air that stirred the mana and you could only read mana, if you had elven blood. And even then, you had to study it. She paused for a second, confirming what she thought he had said.

"'I am one who is bound to Mithos. Who are you?'"

"Mithos again?" Lloyd questioned "How could he make pacts with Summon Spirits in both Tethe'alla and Sylvarant?"

"Maybe Mithos went back and forth between the worlds with a Rheaird as well." Genis suggested. Raine, wanting to get things underway, refrained from pointing out to Genis that Rheairds may not have existed when he was alive.

Sheena rolled her eyes, hissing at the two boys to quiet them before turning back to the spirit, continuing the pact forming, Raine continuing to translate as they did.

The situation took a drastic turn, though, when Volt refused to make a pact.

"Why?!" Sheena protested.

"'I will have no more dealings with people, therefore I desire no pact.'" Raine translated.

The pact-maker wrenched her cards from out of her top. "No, we need your help!"

"Sheena! Be careful!" Lloyd shouted, unconsciously reaching for the young woman.

The movement, however, had already seemed to have done the damage. The group stepped backwards, suddenly fearful of the powerful being before them, hairs prickling on the backs of necks as the low hum of electricity grew louder and higher.

A heartbeat later there was a flash of light, bolts of lightning shooting down towards the group, the force flinging them over the barriers of the balcony they were on to the floor below. They fell heavily, scattering like leaves in the autumn wind, lying dazed on the floor. Sheena gasped, pushing herself into a crouch, looking over the group.

"Everyone, watch out! This is just like before!"

Raine grunted quietly, pushing herself to her knees and looking up at the younger woman as Volt descended towards her, a ball of electricity forming in front of him.

Sheena staggered to her feet, taking a step back, unable to cast any sort of barrier in time to protect herself from the attack.

Raine turned her face away, unable to watch as she heard electricity strike flesh, the smell of singeing hair rising into the air and then the gentle thud of flesh hitting solid ground. Silence held the air for a moment before the sound of running footsteps echoed around the room, stopping abruptly and followed by a desperate cry.

"Corrine!"

The professor's head snapped up, eyes turning to the stage above her to find Sheena crouched over the body of her companion.

"Corrine, why?!"

Volt was moving though, still insistent on taking out the summoner, circling around to behind her, charging another spell.

Lloyd, having risen dashed forwards, up the steps, blocking the attack as it was released and hurtled towards the girl.

"Sheena! Get a hold of yourself!" he barked, glancing over his shoulder to her. Raine lifted her head to look at the boy, his voice so strong and commanding that for a second she saw his father cross his face.

"But!"

The weak voice of Corrine rose shakily into the air, struggling to be heard above the hum of electricity.

"Volt's…just lost his faith in people. Make your vow and try forming a pact one more time. You can do it, Sheena!"

"Corrine!" Sheena gasped, voice breaking with grief.

"I'm sorry…that I couldn't be of more help." The voice trailed off, the man made summon spirit falling silent.

"No, Corrine, don't die!!"

But Volt was still unheeding of the situation, still trying to attack the girl, circling around her again. Lloyd dashed forwards, blocking his attack again.

"Sheena! Subdue Volt by force! Don't let Corrine's effort go to waste! Otherwise, you'll spend the rest of your life haunted by Volt's shadow!"

The girl remained crouched for a moment before rising to her feet slowly, stirred by Lloyd's words and she raised her head and eyes to meet Volt's gaze as she wrenched cards from their storage space inside her robe again.

Raine staggered upright, knees almost buckling beneath her as she anticipated the fight that was about to occur, watching as fire blazed in Sheena's amber eyes. She took a breath.

"…For the sake of everyone that risked their lives to protect me, Volt! I _demand _your power!"

She launched herself towards the ball of electricity, all cards blazing and Raine had never seen the girl attack something with such ferocity, such strength and determination as she slammed a series of cards through to the centre of Volt's body, letting them explode inside him, knocking him down.

Zelos and Lloyd were joining in too, slashing at the spirit as Raine called up defence and performance enhancing spells before glancing to the others.

Genis and Presea lay on the floor still, struggling to return to consciousness as Regal crouched over them, keeping watch over them.

Raine flicked her attention back to the fight in front of her, leaping back as a series of lightning bolts shot towards her, splitting the tiles it struck as she backed away.

A second later the swordsmen were releasing a flurry of attacks on the ball of electricity, steel blades carving through the core of the spirit. It was fortunate that the men were wearing gloves, for as Raine watched she could see the sparks of electricity leaping up the blade into hilts of swords and the material of gloves.

The heavy blow of Lloyd's 'Tiger blade' knocked Volt back after the series of attacks and the creature's eyes narrowed. He lifted himself higher into the air to cast another spell.

"Lloyd!" Sheena called, "Stand in front of Volt and crouch!"

"Why?!"

"Just do it!"

Sheena turned from where she was standing, dashing behind Lloyd and lining herself up behind even as Zelos dashed over to Raine.

"She's about to do something really stupid that could hurt us all. Hope you've got a spell that can heal us all at once." He advised before dashing back towards Volt, sword glinting the in purple light of the summon spirit.

Raine frowned, calling up her mana again, concentrating on ensnaring the mana in the air, holding and splitting it, forming it into new shapes in order to aid all of the group at once. She grit her teeth, hanging onto the attack, knuckles whitening as she gripped her staff.

A moment later, Sheena was carrying out her plan, racing towards Lloyd as Zelos jumped and slashed at Volt from below, using a light spear attack to penetrate into Volt even as Sheena vaulted off Lloyd's back, flinging herself high into the air and slamming the cards into him, making sure they stuck as she fell _through _his body.

Raine's eyes widened at the move, suddenly understanding Zelos' words as the girl hit the floor, unmoving and she released the spell, allowing the mana to form into humanoid shapes and flow out to the group members, healing Zelos, Lloyd and Sheena as they felt the repercussions of Sheena's move.

"Nurse!"

She watched with held breath as the figures coursed over Sheena, waiting to see any sign of movement from her, heart sinking when she didn't rise immediately.

Lloyd and Zelos were up, still attacking the creature, warding its attacks away from the prone Sheena and Zelos dashed to her when Volt backed off temporarily, crouching over her and checking her pulse. After a moment, he rose, giving Raine a thumbs up, signalling to her that the girl was alright before he returned to Volt.

Raine fixed her eyes on Sheena, absent mindedly calling up another defence spell to try and aid them as they continued to fight.

Sheena stirred after another few moments, rising onto her haunches and looking up at Volt, eyes blazing again as she stood straight, drawing a blue card from inside her top.

Runes began to surround her feet, forming in a huge magic circle about her as she scowled, throwing the card into the air.

"I summon the maiden of the mist! Come, Undine!"

Raine leapt back instantly as Sheena summoned the spirit, wondering what the hell she was thinking as she began to cast Nurse again in preparation. Water vs. lightning…what did she think was going to happen when that water fell onto the floor where they were standing?

A giant wave rose from the spirit as she appeared before her opposite, the water crashing down over him, ploughing him to the ground as electricity shot in wild waves through the air.

Barriers and shields were called up immediately, protecting the combatants from the wild sparks of energy as they flew about the room. Undine disappeared in a flash of blue a moment later, leaving the downed ball of energy struggling to rise again.

"Guys! Be ready to attack together in a few moments. Raine! Photon if you wouldn't mind and let us know when you're ready."

Raine nodded, releasing her current healing spell to allow it to do its work before immediately casting photon, watching as Sheena, Lloyd and Zelos fended off Volt's attacks whilst waiting.

A moment later she was ready.

"Sheena, now!"

Sheena nodded. "Guys!"

They rushed forwards on cue, the men slicing into the orb with a cross thrust, Raine letting Photon gather and implode upon Volt as they slashed straight through his centre, just as Sheena called the cards she had deposited onto Volt earlier into play.

"Power seal absolute!"

And that was it. The coup de grace.

Volt let out a series of sparks, humming lowly and lifting himself higher into the air, looking down at them. The four fighters gathered in front of him hesitantly and Raine listened quietly for Volt's words.

She turned to Sheena. "Volt says, 'Make your vow'."

Sheena nodded, taking a steadying breath as she looked up to Volt, calm reclaiming her, though her voice wavered with grief and fatigue as she spoke quietly.

"Just like I said, for the sake of everyone that risked their lives to protect me, and for Corrine's sake as well, I want to save both worlds…"

"'The vow has been made. I entrust my power to the pact-maker, Sheena!'" Raine translated smiling softly at the girl as Volt transferred some of his power into a small gem before disappearing. Sheena took it shakily, tucking it inside her robe.

"It's over…" she sighed, closing her eyes tiredly. A flash of light a moment later, however, proved her wrong as Undine and Volt both materialised before them again.

Regal, Genis and Presea staggered up to join the rest of the group.

"What's happening?" Lloyd asked, looking up at the summon spirits.

"A link between the two worlds has been severed…" Undine replied quietly, informing the group of a development they couldn't possibly have foreseen.

Volt hummed again and Raine translated instantly. "The two opposing forces of mana were…severed just now?"

"What does it mean for the mana flow to be severed?" Regal asked, frowning.

"Mana flows from the world in which the Summon Spirits sleep to the world in which the Summon Spirits are awake. This is the first time the Summon Spirits have been awakened in both worlds at the same time. Because of this, the mana connecting the two worlds has been eliminated." Undine explained to the group who stared up at her, curious but worried about what they had just done.

"Does that mean that Sylvarant and Tethe'alla have stopped competing for each other's mana?" Lloyd questioned hopefully.

"'I do not know.'" Raine answered for Volt. "'The only thing certain is that the flow of mana between the worlds has been severed'."

"Yes. Eventually the worlds shall separate…"

Raine stood still as she took in the new information, even as they rest of the group became very excited at the prospect. This was potentially the exact scenario they had been looking for.

"There are five seals in Sylvarant," Raine mused "And since there wasn't a Summon Spirit at the fifth seal, we should be able to sever all of the mana if we awaken the Summon Spirits that correspond to the other four seals. …Maybe."

"So if we awaken Tethe'alla's Summon Spirits, we'll save Sylvarant without having Tethe'alla go into decline, right?"

"At the least," Undine answered Lloyd "the mana connecting the worlds will disappear and the two worlds will separate."

With their summoner and her companions informed of the new situation, the summon spirits departed again, leaving the group to ponder over the situation.

"We owe it all to you, Sheena…and Corrine as well." Presea commented quietly after a moment of silence.

The ninja looked at the girl blankly, prompting to her explain and Raine was surprised at just how sensitive the true Presea was to others.

"Because the two of you risked your lives to form the pact with Volt, we now know what the seals do."

The rest of the group nodded and murmured their agreements, giving Sheena supportive smiles. They dropped when the girl turned away, head down, shoulders shaking slightly and Lloyd reached out to comfort her…only she moved away just as he did, crouching down and picking a small golden bell from the floor. Corrine's bell.

She smiled at it sadly, closing her fist around it and holding it to her chest. "…Corrine…thank you…"

Battle over and pact made, Raine decided it was time to move, gesturing to Lloyd that they should do so. He lead the group from the temple to the outside, where Orochi was waiting for them. He informed them that they had discovered the Renegade base; near to the continent of Flanoir and that they would travel there once suitably rested after the battle.

'Suitably rested' turned out to be the remainder of the day. The battle had been rather harsh on those who had engaged in it and they had required more rest than they had previously thought. Coupled with Sheena's quiet grieving for Corrine, the sky had already began to turn dark. Raine frowned, unhappy with the decision but it was dangerous for them to travel at sea, alone, at night and she was concerned for Colette's safety. The rest of the group clearly were too and most of the camp was silent and morose from both Colette's absence and Sheena's mood. Zelos was the only one to raise a cheerful voice but when Sheena left the scene to think by herself for a while, he was scolded by most of the group.

Raine, on the other hand, agreed that Zelos had a point. Being depressed because Sheena was would only make the girl feel worse, and it was far easier for her for them to pretend nothing had happened. It was the exact reverse of what Raine herself was doing – pretending that nothing had happened between her and Kratos and that she was completely neutral towards him, as they expected her to be. Acting out of character only worried people and delayed progress. Something that they couldn't afford to do. Now that they knew how to sunder the worlds, the sooner they did it, the better.

With the camp in tense silence, Raine bid her companions good night. They would need to be prepared for infiltrating the renegade base tomorrow.

--

Yuan sighed irritably, tapping his foot against the plush carpet that lined the floor of his office within the Renegade base near Flanoir.

He had just returned from being summoned, rather pointlessly, to the so-called _Lord _Yggdrasill and the meeting with the man had only grated on his rather irritable mood. Of course, Yggdrasill and his insane plans for the world, not to mention his obsessions with ensuring that everyone working for him was loyal to him – a fact that had Yuan almost laughing in front of his supposed leader- was not the only issue that was grating on him.

No indeed there was an issue somewhat closer to him annoying him. Kratos, to be specific.

Yuan would admit that in some of the more recent years of their lives, the once rather strong friendship between them had deteriorated severely. Words between the two of them were harsh, usually scornful, sarcastic or mocking. Where once there had been playful banter they now used simple barked commands and sentences…and Kratos had become somewhat worse for it, as of late. His irritability around Yuan was what had put the half-elf himself in such a foul mood and he scowled at the thought.

Kratos worked for Cruxis. Solely for Cruxis and he shouldn't have let the man's odd behaviour and subtle mood swings effect him. But they did…because once you had become close to the man, he had an odd way of keeping you attracted, no matter how many wrongs he did to you or how much you convinced yourself that you really did hate him. The only person who seemed to have broken free from Kratos' oddly lingering friendship was Yggdrasill.

The simple fact remained, however, that Kratos' mood had affected him. As usual, Kratos had been out on some errand of his own down on earth and had returned a day or so later, in a rather subdued mood.

That, however, had been two days ago and the subdued mood had slowly built into irritation, mixed with the occasional flurry of sentimentality and thoughtfulness.

Yuan could only assume that, as before, Kratos had run into Lloyd's group and that had sparked off some of his buried emotions. Again, whether it was Lloyd or someone else within the group was debatable and the thought suddenly reminded him that he had made a note to assess the group when he next ran into them to see whether there was potentially another in the group that was causing the emotions to rise.

It shouldn't take too long for that to occur though.

Having taken the Rheiards from them, the group would find it difficult to travel through the world and, if required, back to Sylvarant. Therefore it made sense that, sooner or later, the group would come and attempt to regain the Rheiards. Since it had been over a week since they had taken them back, he was certain that the group would be coming to invade rather soon.

Which meant he would have to prepare himself for battle. And Botta too.

Yuan wasn't stupid. He had seen the group's style of attack when they had set upon Pronyma. The four-on-one tactic was hardly fair and even as an angel, he was going to have to even the odds a little by bringing his second-in-command in to aid him.

Sighing again he sank into his chair, preparing to hit the button of the intercom on his desk in order to summon Botta and inform him of the situation. He was stopped in his tracks, however, by a knock on the metal door to his office.

"Enter." Yuan called.

A second later Botta stepped in. "I have news, sir."

"Oh?"

"Our…messenger has arrived. The Chosen's group is here and are trying to discover the codes to the hangar. Should I have them changed, sir?"

"No. No, I think that we should in fact prepare a surprise party for them."

"Sir?"

"We'll wait in the hangar for them and challenge them. They're a danger to our plans, Botta, and we need to stop them. If one of them somehow manages to leak my identity to Cruxis…"

"Understood. But what of the messenger? Should they be dispatched as well?"

"We'll see."

"And the boy? You had plans for him."

"Lloyd remains alive. He's Kratos' son, and as long as he lives, we have some leverage over Kratos…it may come in handy to keep him alive."

"Of course. In that case, we should get to the hangar. I don't know how long it will take them to discover the codes and make it through the bases defence systems but…"

"I imagine it won't take them a great deal of time. You remember their involvement with the ranches. And Kratos told me that he didn't aid them with the devices in there. There are, unfortunately for us, a few intelligent ones among that group."

"Indeed so. By the way, sir, their numbers have increased as well. They are currently missing the Chosen of Sylvarant but that do have with them a new member, a man."

"I doubt he's as strong as the Chosen though. Nevertheless that could be critical information. But come…we should get down there immediately."

--

Yuan and Botta walked the back paths to the hangar briskly, the senior tutting at the path of destruction the infiltrating group had left in their wake. Several of Yuan's best men had been seen being carried to the medical ward on stretchers.

Coming to the room they slipped inside quietly. The Rheiards were still in place and Yuan quickly stepped to the side, calling up a map on a monitor and checking the group's position. They were in the room a few floors below, trying to solve the security puzzle there.

"They'll be here within a matter of minutes." Yuan stated to Botta over his shoulder, shutting the monitor off.

"Do you have a plan for battle, sir? Any tactics?"

"Aim for the healer. She's the one that will cause the most trouble simply by keeping them alive. If we can take her out, they're doomed."

"Understood."

They waited for a few minutes in silence, nothing needing to be said between Yuan and his underling. That was part of the reason why Yuan had chosen the man to be his second in command. He knew what to do without being ordered to do it. Initiative was key in this game.

Hearing the low hum of one of the elevators outside arriving, Yuan jerked his head to the door.

"They're here."

Sure enough, a second later the door slid open smoothly, revealing the red dressed youth at the head of the group, blazing into the room without thought before skidding to a stop.

Yuan smirked. That particular element of Lloyd was one that he had inherited from his mother, but the way he now stood stock still as he looked at the renegade leader, eyes narrowed, was most definitely his father.

"So you've come, like moths to the flame!" Yuan barked at the boy, snapping his fingers at Botta and signalling for him to cross to the other side of the group.

Green eyes scanned the group as they stood before him, tense, three facing Botta, four facing Yuan himself.

There were only five who had travelled with Kratos in Sylvarant and he could safely exclude Lloyd and the young male half-elf before him. The Chosen of Sylvarant was unaccounted for, but he could not picture Kratos getting involved with a girl that young…which left the half-elf and the girl from Mizuho. The half-elf, in particular caught Yuan's attention.

Back when they had first met, just after Kratos had betrayed them, she had been the only one who could begin to figure out what Cruxis was trying to do, meaning she was of a rather high level of intelligence. From the way she wasn't flinching away when he met her gaze, she was rather confident of herself too. Of course, those two elements alone weren't enough to base a relationship on…but there seemed to be an element to the woman that made her seem as though she were suitable for Kratos' rather discerning tastes. Not that Kratos had particular tastes when it came to partners, hell the man usually didn't care if they were male or female, proclaiming that gender was meaningless but…she seemed the type that would grab his attention. Strong, confident…demanding.

"Do you ever say anything original?" Lloyd snapped, an eyebrow raised at Yuan's greeting and the Renegade leader let his own eyes narrow at the cockiness of Kratos' boy.

Zelos caught the gaze Yuan was throwing at Lloyd and shrugged. "You gotta admit…that line is seriously clichéd."

Green eyes slid to the red-head. "I see your attitudes haven't changed, but your impudence ends here! Prepare to die!"

He threw his cape aside, pulling it cleanly from his shoulders before reaching forwards with his hand, summoning the giant swallow that he used in battle before charging for the woman in orange.

Raine jumped back, abandoning her spell as Yuan rushed towards her, the huge ancient weapon in his hand throwing her into a state of surprise. It was a weapon she had only heard about when reading books telling of the ancient war and she couldn't quite believe there was someone who actually used such a ridiculous tool.

Yuan was, however, proving to be rather adept with it as he hopped back onto one leg, the other held high for balance as the swallow spun dizzyingly about his body. Sparks flew from the double ended blade as it twirled about him, carving charms and runes into the air, summoning mana to him. Raine kept her eyes on him, all too aware that on the other side of the room, Lloyd and the rest of the group were facing Botta, trying to beat him back.

It was only at the last moment that they seemed to realise that there was, in fact, another opponent in this battle and Zelos broke from the rest of them, dashing towards Yuan desperately, attempting to attack him before he could release the spell.

Too late.

It was just as his sword swung down towards the blue-haired man that he released the spell and Raine had just enough time to throw her staff up, conjuring a shield about her as purple and white lightning shot down towards her, crackling about her as it sprang to the floor at her feet.

"Thunder explosion!"

Raine gasped as the attack faded. It had almost, _almost_, broken through the barrier she had thrown up against it and she wondered if she would be able to handle many of those attacks.

Zelos was engaged in battle with Yuan now, but the half-elf seemed to be having little trouble fending off the Chosen's blows. It was quite surprising considering the size of the weapon, which was hardly the easiest to wield but each blow was met squarely, until Yuan whipped round, ducking and swiping the swallow under his feet, knocking the red-head to the floor.

He fell heavily, rolling away as the curved edge of one of the blades descended towards him. He jumped to his feet a moment later.

"Back up!" He called to the rest of the group a moment later and Lloyd and Sheena dashed over, surrounding the half-elf, attacking him, distracting him.

Raine took the opportunity to back to a safe distance with Genis, casting spells whilst one eye lingered on the renegade leader before flicking to Botta.

Only to see the man rushing for her, Regal and Presea lying on the floor and struggling to climb to their feet. She lifted a foot, planting it firmly behind her, raising her staff vertically in front of her as the large ice blue dagger of Botta swung in a horizontal arc. It caught on her staff, blocking the attack and she quickly brought it close into her body, before swinging it up behind her, intending to slam the staff down onto Botta.

But the second-in-command was a trained warrior and far faster and well equipped than she. Raine gave a high shriek as metal pierced the skin of her hip and she gritted her teeth against it, following her plan through a moment later, smashing the orb at the head of her staff into the side of Botta's skull, striking with as much force as possible as, a moment later, stone burst from the floor as Genis released his spell.

The combined effect was immediate and Botta fell to the floor limply, blood oozing from the side of his head, trickling from pointed ears.

"Oh, was that a bit too much?" Raine murmured at the unconscious form before turning her gaze to the other battle.

Yuan was in the centre of the other three, somehow still managing to ward off most of their attacks and inflict his own upon them.

Raine narrowed her eyes, pulling her now notched staff back into her body, calling up healing mana and releasing it in waves over the group, healing the party.

A few moments and combined attack later and there was a low groan from Yuan, the trio jumping back as he crumbled onto one knee, his blade lying on the floor, one hand clutching the deep wound over the left side of his abdomen. Raine vaguely remembered seeing Lloyd strike him there when they first met him in the Triet base.

The half-elf panted heavily, looking up at the group with confusion in his eyes. A second later Botta, having regained consciousness, stumbled over to his leader.

"Impossible!" Yuan gasped. "How could I lose?"

Raine felt like making a rather harsh comment to that before realising that Yuan was speaking again, his eyes locked onto Lloyd.

"Lloyd, your Exsphere…to think that it's really evolving…"

"My exsphere?" Lloyd questioned, looking down at the wounded man.

Yuan opened his mouth as if to speak when the room suddenly groaned, a low rumble sounding before shaking erupted, tools falling from the walls of the hangar with the intensity.

The renegade leader looked up, concerned. "What's this shaking?!"

"Lloyd!" Regal barked suddenly, marshalling the group "Now's our chance! Let's take the Rheairds, now!"

The boy nodded, dashing towards the Rheiards and Raine stumbled after them, climbing onto one of the machines herself before blasting into the air of Flanoir.

--

The group flew for some time before coming across land and when they came across green plains they descended rapidly, landing upon soft turf.

"We need to go and save Colette!" Lloyd announced the second they had landed.

"Yes, Lloyd," Regal answered, climbing off his own machine. Raine lifted an eyebrow, not quite sure how he managed to hold on with his hands shackled like that. "But we need to rest first."

"But!..."

"Gramps is right, bud." Zelos pointed out. "Think. Rodyle's a grand cardinal. If we're gonna take him on, we need to be at a decent strength and I don't know about you but that Yuan guy…he kinda took it out of me, even with Raine's healing."

Sheena nodded after a moment, clearly agreeing. "Let's just take an hour or so to rest and get our strength back. Then we can go and try to save Colette. Besides…do we know where we're looking for her?"

"The eastern skies." Raine murmured.

"Huh?"

"Remember a couple of days ago? If Kratos is to be believed…we head for the east and look in the skies."

"How does he know that, though?"

"Rodyle works for him. I'd like to think that even Cruxis knew a little something about their employees."

"Clearly not doing a very good job of it."

"Agreed." Raine mumbled before turning away from the group, hating the fact that they had relied on Kratos' knowledge to help them. They should be able to do this on their own…

A basic plan decided, the group settled down under a cluster of trees, resting in the shade, occasionally picking at a cold spread set out before them.

After an hour or so had passed, allowing them to regain strength lost during the fight they packed and mounted up onto the rheiards, heading into the eastern sky, still blue as the rest of the sky began to fade to the oranges of sunset.

They flew through blue skies, wind whipping in clouds, droplets of water from the occasional cloud they passed through gathering on clothing and hair.

As they finally emerged from a particularly dense cloud and soared up into the sky they saw in the distance a strange purple orb. Lloyd quickly pointed it to the others and steered his rheiard towards it. Nearing the orb they found it to be an island somehow floating in the air, surrounded by its own little system of clouds.

They landed quickly, finding Colette standing in the centre of the island, three large stone tubes pointing towards her.

"Colette!"

Lloyd leaped straight from his rheiard, the machine having barely stopped moving, racing towards the girl. She was trapped within a device similar to that which they had been caught in atop Mt. Fooji when they had run into Yuan. Except a ring of orange-yellow light surrounded the girl's feet.

She looked up at the sound of his voice, alarmed.

"No, Lloyd, stay away! It's a trap!"

"What?…"

Raine, jumping from her rheiard, dashed over to the boy, the rest of the group following as Lloyd's head snapped towards Rodyle. Presea pulled her axe free immediately.

"You will pay for using me!" She snarled at the man. "Let Colette go!"

She jumped forwards, right in front of the man, swinging her axe down into him…except…he disappeared in a blur of colour leaving thin air in his wake.

"An illusion?" Raine questioned, mainly to herself as the man reappeared a second later on the other side of the island and he laughed harshly, his voice grating to Raine's ears.

"You can have that worthless Chosen! Now I understand why lord Yggdrasill left her alone." He spat. Colette's head lowered.

"Worthless?!" Lloyd spat back in anger, enraged at the smug half-elf's comment.

"Absolutely. A sinful Chosen like that is completely useless for my Mana Cannon. She can't even save the world. She can't merge with Martel. She even puts her friends in danger. What a pathetic Chosen."

Raine could practically _see _Lloyd's blood boiling with every word that Rodyle spoke and she felt the same way, anger gnawing at the pit of her stomach as she looked at the man. He was utterly stupid. First he kidnapped the girl, not realising he couldn't use her and then had the nerve to call _her _stupid. Not to back Cruxis up but…did the pathetic excuse for a Grand Cardinal not realise that you listen to those in the know for a reason.

"Stop blaming Colette for things she did not do!" Presea growled.

"Indeed." Regal agreed "It is enough that I alone bear the weight of sin. You and I are the epitome of sin! I'll drag you down to hell with me!"

Raine baulked slightly at Regal's words. She had never heard him speak so strongly of something or express so much emotion and the anger on his face as he looked at Rodyle reminded her strongly of Kratos when he had finally exacted his revenge on Kvar.

"Take me to hell? You inferior beings and your silly jokes." Rodyle tittered as if someone had just told him a slightly risqué joke.

Angered by the threat to Colette's life, spurred by Regal's words and Rodyle's reaction the group took a few steps towards the illusion, hands grasping at weapons as they approached him.

"Everyone, please, run!" Colette shouted as they neared him.

"Now, my darling pets!" Rodyle shouted as they approached, "Feed on the flesh of these wretched beings!" He disappeared again, a streak of lights shooting into the sky.

A heartbeat later there were jewelled purple dragons soaring down towards them, stopping a few feet above, cocking their heads as they looked at their supposed prey. Talons clicked together threateningly as they hovered.

"Don't try to fight them! Run!"

"Winged dragon, a subspecies of dragon. Carnivorous. Excels at the pursuit and capture of prey. The probability of successful evasion on this small platform is one percent." Presea informed them.

Hands pulled weapons free.

"Give me a break! I'll pass on dying, thanks!" Zelos snapped as he looked up at one of the reptiles.

"All we have to do is defeat them before they can kill us!" Lloyd stated, falling into a defensive stance, swords in hand.

"Indeed. I have no intention of becoming a part of the food chain without a fight." Regal growled.

They threw themselves against the creatures a moment later fighting tooth and nail against the relatively small reptiles. Raine thought, as she stepped back to begin casting, they could actually win against these creatures….until a large head and neck shot from one of the curved fights, a bizarre, double-hinged jaw opening to let out a dual toned roar.

Zelos looked up at the mother dragon, sword in mid-swing, his eyes widening slightly.

"Oh sh…."

* * *

I'm hoping the fic isn't getting boring at this point. Since there's rather a lack of Kratos and stuff to link him to its making this a bit difficult so I hope I'm doing ok with it. And if you're wondering about the whole Yuan thing well...I love Yuan and think he deserves a bigger role.

Also...just another note: progress with Raine's emotions towards Kratos? - I'm not sure whether there actually has been any since I don't have a structured plan of how to write this fic and its all essentially ad lib when it comes to the emotional parts so if people could let me know how I'm doing with that I'd be very grateful (since it is probably the most important part of the fic).

As always: hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading and please review :)


	29. Cold

Thanks for reviews as always.

Enjoy!

The fight with the dragons was long and exhausting. As the group fought on, light began to fade even from the eastern skies leaving them fighting in twilight, lit by nothing more than the light of spells, mana and the soft yellow glow of the barrier Colette was trapped within.

Nevertheless, the group won, watching the creatures fall to the ground, their delicate membranous wings shredded and tattered by sword strokes.

Raine sighed softly, lowering her staff, physically drained, her mana levels low. The sheer amount of fighting and mana use had left her all but immobile. It was only the shriek from Colette that made her head jerk up.

"No, it's too late!"

The barrier surrounding Colette was still intact and now there was a sulphurous yellow circle spreading out from her, capturing each member of the group as they faced the girl.

"What is this ominous light that threatens to engulf us?" Regal panted, struggling to look about him. Sheena too was in a similar state.

"I can't move!"

"It's Colette! The mana from Colette's body is flowing out towards us!" Genis yelped, his eyes managing to meet Raine's.

"It's caused by that magic circle beneath her!"

"Colette!" Lloyd shouted "Get out of there!"

"I can't…" She answered, looking at the group with wide blue eyes. "I'm chained to it. I…I can't move. I'm sorry. I'm just a Chosen who couldn't even save her friends, much less the world. Maybe I'm just like Rodyle said, 'a pathetic Chosen'…"

"No, Colette, don't delude yourself," Presea hissed "You haven't done anything wrong. What's wrong is this system that demands the sacrifice of the Chosen!"

Raine managed to turn her head to look at the pink-haired girl. There was sorrow in her grey-blue eyes, etched in her pale face as she looked up Colette and guilt was driving her on.

With what must have been a gargantuan effort the girl lifted her head and foot, taking a painfully slow step forwards, the other leg following. She made it towards Colette, struggling on at a snail's pace, but doing it nevertheless.

Reaching the trap she lifted her huge axe above her head before swinging it down through the walls. Presea let out a cry of pain and effort as she struck it and the barrier shattered with a flash, striking the young girl.

"Presea!…Thank you…"

Raine let out a sigh of relief as the light vanished, releasing them and she straightened, about to head to Presea to check her over.

The release of the barrier, however, seemed to have had an adverse effect on the island they were standing on, for the ground suddenly began to tremble.

"Whoa, what's up with the ground?!" Zelos yelped, trying to balance himself as he shook.

"We have to get out of here!" Lloyd barked, gesturing to the rheiards left at the side of the island. The group dashed towards them instantly, pairing up to mount the rheiards as Lloyd encouraged Colette to follow them. With everyone safely on the vehicles, they took off heading for safe, solid ground as the island behind them collapsed into the sea.

--

It was dark when they landed but they found a sheltered area in a valley, among a cluster of rocks and they quickly settled under the sparse trees growing between them.

"It looks like everyone's all right." Sheena commented as they settled down.

"But for what purpose did that Rodyle character kidnap Colette?" Regal asked, glancing at the Chosen. Raine made her way across to Presea to check on her after her ordeal of breaking the barrier that contained Colette.

"He said he needed a Cruxis Crystal in order to control the Mana Cannon. But apparently, mine didn't work." Colette answered.

"Mana Cannon?…" Lloyd questioned, recognition flitting across his face.

Raine nodded to herself, remembering where she had heard it before. Hima.

"Pietro, the man we saved in Hima, also spoke of this Mana Cannon." And she remembered distinctly how Kratos had questioned him about it, referring to it as 'Thor's hammer'. He had let the act drop for just a split second. She should have known then that there was something about the man's knowledge that couldn't come simply from travelling and knowing a few people. He had to be involved more deeply somehow.

And know she knew.

"Presea's waking up!" Genis exclaimed suddenly. True to his word, the girl was pushing herself up on her arms, confusion clearing in her eyes as she looked around. Her gaze came to rest on the blonde girl standing nearby.

"Colette…are you ok?"

"Yes, thanks to you." Colette smiled softly at the girl. Presea didn't answer immediately, but slowly a small smile began to spread across her lips at Colette.

"Presea smiled!" Lloyd grinned, looking at the girl and then around to the rest of the group. The effect of one person's mood was quite amazing as the mood in the air shifted to quiet contentment. The group was whole once more…eight companions travelling together and Raine would've smiled too if it were not for the thought that, had things not turned out the way they had, there might be nine of them.

"Ok then, now that my cute little Presea smiled, it's a good time to start thinking about the next step." Zelos announced.

"Yeah. We got Colette back, so what now?" Genis questioned.

"What else? We're going to separate the two worlds!"

"So we're gonna form pacts with the Summon Spirits of both worlds." Zelos stated, clarifying the issue, a look of thought passing briefly across his face.

"This is where I come in, right?" Sheena questioned and as Raine looked at her, she wondered just how much of that attitude was bravado after the loss of Corrine and how much of it was real courage spurred by the summon spirit. "How about we start with the Summon Spirit, Gnome? He should be near here."

"All right, that sounds good. Professor? Is that Ok with you?" Lloyd asked, turning back to his teacher.

Raine flicked her eyes up to meet Lloyd's questioning stare. She had been lost in thought about a number of issues not least the member of the group they were missing, but also their plans for the world.

She wondered exactly what would happen…it couldn't be as simple as the two worlds just separating neatly could it? But…they wouldn't know, they couldn't know unless someone told them what would happen and this was the only lead they head.

"…What? Um, y…yes sure. That's fine."

"Professor?… Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing. Anyway, we should settle down for tonight and rest."

--

The group rose rather late into the next day, still exhausted by the previous day's exertions despite the rest and so it was slowly and with a distinct lack of enthusiasm that they packed up and headed north, further into the chasm where the temple of earth was supposed to be.

Unfortunately, the temple was not quite as easy to find as they had hoped. Unlike all the other temples they had been to, there was no large ruin or building to mark its entrance and would appear as little more than a cave when they finally found it, according to Sheena.

Thus, the group spent a great deal of time wandering into caves, only to find in most of them that they had reached a dead end. Or a monster intent on ripping them to shreds. Those extra little run-ins with monsters had only served to deplete the still dwindling energy of the group and by the time night began to draw in they still hadn't found the entrance to the temple. Raine doubted that they had even travelled that far up the valley.

With no chance of finding the entrance to the cave in the dark, they settled into one of the ones they had just cleared out, hoping to rest out of harm's way for the night.

Another day followed in much the same manner and by the end of the second day spent searching for the temple, tempers had begun to fray, so it was fortunate that Zelos stalked away from the group in a huff…and promptly stumbled into a rather large black hole.

Or what appeared to be a hole.

Lloyd dashed over instantly, flaming branch in hand, calling the other man's name frantically. Raine felt her heart start slightly as there was no response and Lloyd turned back to her, his face grim and worried, looking for direction.

A heartbeat later, however, and there was a thin voice calling from inside the pit, muffled by distance and echoing walls but there.

"Lloyd?!"

"Zelos? You ok?!"

"Nope, ankle hurts but on the plus…think I found the entrance to the temple."

"Stay where you are, we'll be down to get you now."

Raine nodded, tapping her staff against the floor and summoning some mana into the orb at its head so that it glowed. Quietly, she and Lloyd made their way into the pit, casting light about in a search for Zelos.

They found him quickly enough, sitting at the bottom of the steep slope that lead into a large, rocky area, one of his legs twisted awkwardly beneath him, scrapes and bruises adorning his pale skin. He appeared rather miffed.

"No-one told me there was a drop to get into this temple."

"No-one knew there was a temple here, Zelos." Raine pointed out, handing her staff to Lloyd so she could attend to Zelos.

"Stupid slope," the Chosen muttered "It's bruised my beautiful ankle!"

"Stop complaining, Zelos, and let me see to it."

Pouting, the chosen extended his leg, letting Raine look at it. In the meantime the others had packed up and slid down into the entrance of the temple.

"It's just sprained, but you shouldn't put anyway weight on it for the moment," Raine looked up at the rest of the group "So I'm guessing we're camping down here tonight?"

"It is safer down here, so long as we don't alert any of the monsters to our presence." Regal pointed out and Raine nodded.

"Then let's move to that cove over there." She pointed out a curved recess on the wall before hooking an arm around Zelos' shoulders, helping him stagger to his feet.

The group made their camp around the soft light of the apparatus that would change the function of the ring and they slept fitfully in the temple, aware of the monsters deeper within and the task they would face tomorrow.

--

Raine wasn't sure as she stood after bandaging Zelos' swollen ankle and taking breakfast, exactly what time of day it was.

The temple of earth was dimly lit somehow inside, though none of the group, Raine included, could pin-point the source. It did however provide just enough light to see the winding rocky paths by and the bizarre monsters wandering across them.

Sighing, Raine helped Zelos to his feet again, rolling her eyes when he whined loudly about his ankle and she quickly shoved him over to Regal, irritated by the stray hand she could feel sliding away from her shoulder and down her back.

Regal slung the Chosen's arm over his shoulder promptly, stooping to deal with the difference in height and leading Zelos into the rest of the temple, trailing behind the rest of the group.

--

"That gnomelette was an idiot." Zelos muttered as he staggered to his feet with the aid of Lloyd's shoulder, pushing himself away from the haphazard planks of wood they had just landed on.

"Yeah he could've gotten us killed," Lloyd agreed, brushing himself down "but hey, at least he helped us and look. Here's the seal."

"Yeah whatever." Zelos murmured, hopping forwards a little as the rest of the group crawled out of the debris and headed for the seal ahead. They had decided before hand that, now the group was at its full strength of eight, it wouldn't be wise for them all to be involved with the battle in case there were serious injuries and back-up was needed.

The elected four fighters stepped towards the seal, the rest of the group hanging behind.

The area suddenly shook violently as Sheena approached, rocks falling from the ceiling, stalagmites ploughing up out of the ground.

And then there was a summon spirit bursting from the ground, landing neatly upon the altar. He appeared to be, at first glance a giant…mole.

"So this is Gnome!" Lloyd exclaimed, looking up at the giant ball of brown fluff. The spirit stared back quizzically.

"Since Volt was Undine's opposite," Genis mused "Gnome's is…"

"Efreet! If we wake up Efreet, that'll sever their mana flow, right?"

"No, it's Sylph!" Raine snapped and she wished for once that Lloyd would take after his father a little. Traitor or not, the man had intelligence and she had to wonder how Lloyd had turned out as he was.

"Honestly, how many times do I have to tell you before you actually remember it?"

"I see that the level of education in Sylvarant matches the status of the world." Regal commented, a wry smirk upon his lips. That earned him a dark, almost murderous glare from Raine

Lloyd paused, confused, before nodding. "Yeah, I guess you could say that!"

"Lloyd, that was not a compliment." Presea informed him and the teen huffed.

Sheena, clearly impatient about forming the pact, stepped up. "All right, here we go!"

Gnome looked down at the ninja as she approached.

"So, you're a summoner, huh? Well, look, sorry, but I've already got a pact with Mithos, 'k?"

Raine lifted an eyebrow. He was far less formal than the other spirits…

"There's Mithos' name again. He must have been amazing!" Colette whispered. Sheena continued regardless, following the tradition of asking the spirit to annul the pact before launching into battle against the creature.

Even reduced to fighting with just four members the battle against Gnome was not as difficult as they had previously expected and the group wondered if perhaps the couple of days of relaxation, or at least, more relaxation than they were used to, had made their fighting improve. They had been pushing themselves to their limits over the time they had been travelling together and it was about time they slowed down a little and took some rest for themselves.

Perhaps if they took things at a slower pace it would be sufficient.

Eventually, Gnome fell to the floor, beaten and as he looked up at them there was a vague expression of contempt on his face.

"You guys fight dirty, you know that? I mean, what's up with that four-on-one garbage?! Mithos…well, he did it by himself!"

Raine felt like commenting that they usually fought with everyone present, but refrained. It didn't show them in a very good light. She settled for lifting an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? Well, whatever. Make your vow already."

Sheena tutted, muttering something under her breath about the summon spirit's attitude before making her vow, receiving a ruby stone in return before the summon spirit disappeared.

"But you know, I've been thinking…" Zelos mused once the group turned back to face him and the rest of the group "if the worlds are separated from each other, we're not gonna be able to see each other again, are we?"

Lloyd shrugged "Why not? We can just go back and forth with the Rheairds."

"Right now, we can move in between the worlds because they're connected by the flow of mana," Raine explained to her student "But if the worlds are split apart, we don't know what will happen."

"Will that mean that when we form the pact with the final Summon Spirit, we'll all have to say goodbye?" Colette asked, looking around at the Tethe'alla portion of their group sadly.

"…We don't know if that's really the case, so there's no point in worrying about it right now." Lloyd answered, clearly focused on completing his goal. Zelos agreed quietly.

"Where shall we go next?" Presea asked, suddenly, turning the topic to a nearer future.

"I've heard that the Summon Spirit, Celsius, resides near Flanoir." Regal suggested.

With no other leads, the rest of the group agreed and they turned swiftly, leaving the musty, dim dungeon for the fresher air outside.

Once out they walked on foot to the mouth of the valley, fearing to use the rheiards in the rocky areas. It was quite amazing that they had managed to find a patch of land that they could land on safely two days ago.

It was just after midday when the group left the chasm that led up to the temple of earth and they stopped to have lunch.

Raine looked over the bags as Genis and Regal cooked before looking over the group. Zelos lay stretched out on his back, his swollen ankle peeking out from beneath his pant leg. Frowning at the fact it had only seemed to have grown more swollen, she stood, intending to make her way over to him when she felt a twinge of pain in her hip. Putting her hand down to it, she found the wound that Botta had inflicted on her to have swollen and she tutted. She would have to reopen the wound and drain it in order for it to heal and that meant she would be out of action for a day or so.

It seemed that held true for Zelos too and with that in mind, she lifted her head to speak.

"Would anyone have any objections if I were to suggest staying in the house of guidance on the other side of Meltokio tonight?"

The group lifted their heads to look at her. It was Regal who answered. "I assume not, but why the sudden change of plan?"

"Had you noticed this morning that we fought a lot better than we had been doing previously?"

"Yes. But why is that related?"

"I think it may be because we had a rest as we made our way up to the temple instead of charging in the next day. If we stay in actual beds, it may help improve our performance further, for a time. Besides, I think Zelos' ankle will need more rest before it will start to heal properly."

Zelos lifted his head at the mention of his name.

"Did you say we're going to get to sleep in _beds_?"

Raine nodded.

"Hell yeah, I'm up for that!"

"Then we'll have to reach the abbey on the coast before nightfall."

"If we keep up a fair pace we should be able to achieve that." Regal answered.

"Then we should head there as soon as we're done with lunch."

They ate their meal quickly before crossing the continent to the abbey on the other side, taking rest there for the night, healing wounds and resting weary bodies.

--

Flanoir was situated on a fjord out in the cold north-east seas, surrounded by the snow peaked rocks that rose from the water and hid the Renegade's base.

Unsurprisingly, there was an eternal cover of off white clouds above the continent, an infinite pure white cover of snow below, and an unending drift of soft white flakes between each cover.

It was beautiful, but as the group descended through layers of cloud, they found out just how deadly it was. The snow was gathering in the engines of the machines, forcing the group to make an early landing and then trudge through the snow in order to get to the city to buy supplies.

Raine grunted as she pushed her way through the snow, trying to shove it from her path with her staff. The legs of her trousers were soaked to just above the knee, clinging to her skin and she grimaced at the feel. She didn't care how nice it looked, the feeling of cold moisture seeping into her clothing and dampening her skin was unpleasant to say the least. She was extremely glad when she finally crawled up onto the salted, clear steps and streets of Flanoir, despite the snow that still fell and clung to her hair.

The inn was immediately to the left as they entered a few of the group, those that felt the cold more acutely, dashed inside to the warmth and make reservations for that evening.

Raine rolled her eyes as she was left behind with Lloyd and Genis before turning away, intending to explore the city whilst the daylight lasted. It was as they were taking the left path to the upper levels of the city that a man standing at the side of the path stepped out towards them, asking about a flower called 'Celsius' Tear' that supposedly had the power to freeze anything.

After some time of exploring the rather cold city, Raine decided it was high-time she headed into the warmth of the inn, leaving Genis and Lloyd to continue their snowball fight. Colette ran out a few moments later, intent on joining the boys and their fight. The rest of the group remained indoors, watching from frosted windows.

"Anything good out there, Professor?" Zelos asked, leaning on her shoulder with his forearm. The half-elf pushed him away briskly.

"Doctor's surgery, stall selling vegetables, a couple of shops and a craftwork shop. There's a gentleman there making a pair of penguinist gloves for us."

"Just one?"

"Only enough feathers for one. You'll just have to keep your hands in your pockets, Zelos."

Sheena snorted, turning away from the window. "That'll be the day."

Raine hummed in agreement, staring out of the window at the playing children. She stood abruptly a moment later.

"Well. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to check out my room. I'll meet you for dinner." And with that she strode away and up to her room and privacy, whiling away the rest of the day in solitude.

--

Kratos looked up into the cloudy grey sky and took in a breath of the bitingly cold air, revelling in its crisp sharpness and clarity.

He always had preferred cold weather, even back in the days when he had been able to feel its painful nips as fingers numbed. Nowadays he had more of a sense that he was _aware _that it was cold, but couldn't actually feel it. Everything was growing numb in these days. Still, sometimes the numbness was preferable to heat. Once you got over the pain on the cold, you reached the level of numbness and of course then you couldn't feel the pain anymore, and you might just, if you're lucky, never recover. Never feel a sting or bite again. You might just lose the parts that are sensitive to cold.

Heat, on the other hand, was simply infuriating most of the time. It drove you mad, set your skin on fire and crawling and there was no way to be free from it. It held you in its grasp and no matter how much cold water you drank, or how many ice-cubes you ran over your skin, no matter how much shade and shelter you tried to take to ease the sensation, it held you fast in its grip. Torturing you until you wanted to just crawl out of your skin and be free of it.

It was no wonder he had come out here, wanting to be cold and numb again. A couple of months ago, he had been in that state, and it may have been empty but it was blissfully simple that way. People made things complicated, emotions, passion, _heat _made things complicated.

The cold air stinging down into his lungs would have been a relief if he could've felt it properly. Still, the knowledge that it was there was some small comfort.

He wondered if she felt the same way. If she looked out at the cold, barren landscape and thought it was oddly pretty in its deadness. If somehow emptiness was more appealing than crawling, maddening heat.

Fire and ice.

It was interesting how the two always went hand in hand. But what did they say? Opposites attract. He just didn't know they could be attracted to each other in the shell of a single person. Her fire…her ice. He longed for them both.

With her ice came relief, numbness. Knowledge that she was hurt maybe, but thriving, enough to put on a show at least.

But her fire…he longed for that too. For her to take him back and show him the warmth that she once did, even if he didn't deserve it.

Reaching up to his face, he brushed a bang of dark red hair away from his eyes, pulling it aside so that he could see the landscape more clearly, the crystals clinging to his hair melting at his touch.

He knew the group were here, on Flanoir, and were intending to form the pact with Celsius. He had to stop them though. They had no idea of the consequences of what they were doing and it was dangerous to engage in activities you weren't aware of the repercussions of. He doubted he would be able to make them see sense though, intent as they were on their goal. But he had to try.

Letting his hair fall back into place, he clapped his hands softly, looking down at them. His fingertips were growing purple with the cold, reminding him that he had been standing here too long. He had to get a move on and find them.

He made his way towards the city, striding easily through the snow and barely noticing the resistance it offered despite its height against his leg.

It was as he was nearing the city, however, when he noticed them. A group of coloured specks in the distance walking away from the city and he sped up his pace, changed direction so that he could head them off and confront them. It was only when he was well ahead of them and starting to turn back towards them that he stopped, thinking about what he was doing, questioning if he wanted to do this.

He wasn't sure if he could deal with much more of the group's cold glares at him. Even Genis had managed to give him a rather chilling, piercing gaze last time they had met as if he was aware what Raine had done with him. And did he really want to face Lloyd and Raine again?

It would be easier for them all if they didn't come across each other and…in all honesty, what was the chance of the actually managing to make pacts with _all _of the summon spirits?

So they had Undine, Volt and Gnome under their power. They still had five more to do…and Aska and Luna were proving to be quite difficult in summoning to even their original pact maker as of late, separated as they were most of the time.

No…he needn't worry about it yet. Besides, they had to get back over to Sylvarant first.

Convinced, Kratos turned away from the group's path staring up into the grey sky and watching soft flakes drift down in lazy swirls towards him. The blizzard had died down for the moment, but he hoped the group would manage to reach the ice caves before another started up again. For their sakes.

He sighed, preparing to release his wings when he heard a voice from behind him and he tried not to start at it. He had been caught off guard.

"It's Kratos!"

He turned slowly at the sound of Lloyd's loud voice, finding the boy standing behind him, Noishe at his side. The rest of the group were still in the distance, sprinting towards Lloyd and the other man now.

"It's you." Kratos stated blandly, watching anger contort Lloyd's face.

"What are you doing?!"

Kratos met Lloyd's gaze easily. "I was just looking at the sky." He replied, nonchalantly.

"Don't lie!"

Kratos snorted. "Fine. How about 'I was plotting how to get rid of those in Lord Yggdrasill's way'. Now, are you satisfied?"

He glanced up at the distance as Lloyd remained silent, noting the figures were not far from them now. And he desperately wanted to get away before Raine got close enough to speak to him. She was still angry and there was no telling what she might uncover in her ire.

Still….he didn't want to leave his son here alone. Perhaps he could risk another minute or two until they were close enough for Lloyd to be safe. But…he couldn't just stand here in silence the entire time and so he looked over his son, taking in the details in his physical appearance since the last time he had seen him.

He seemed to have somehow grown in that time, at least an inch or so, and he could swear that there were muscles shifting under that shirt that had not been there before.

"You seem well…" he commented off handedly as he looked at his child. Lloyd's head snapped up at the comment and Kratos' realised the mistake he had just made.

"What?"

He had to cover it quickly. "Lloyd, don't be so trusting. There may be those close to you that are malicious."

Lloyd's eyes narrowed. "You're talking about yourself." He accused.

Kratos' lips drew into a thin, tight line. "We'll see." He glanced up at the approaching group and made his decision, stepping away from his son.

"Be ever judicious, Lloyd. Now, I shall excuse myself."

And with that he turned and walked away, striding through the snow as quickly as his long legs could carry him, ignoring Lloyd's voice as he called to him. He couldn't return to see him now. He would have to wait.

Once he was a suitable distance away he turned, looking to the spot where he and Lloyd had spoken. There was no-one there.

Satisfied, he released his wings, chancing the currently gentle wind and soaring back over to where they had spoken, before following the path the group had taken, keeping an eye on them before his other duties forced him to turn aside.

--

The ice caves that housed the temple of ice were dark, echoing and unsurprisingly, cold. Very cold in fact and Raine couldn't say she enjoyed it all that much.

Every patch of ground was covered with a sheet of ice that meant she had to be extra careful as she walked amongst the rest of the group, one hand on Genis' shoulder for both her own and his support.

Keeping her mind on the task at hand was proving to be rather difficult though, following Lloyd's encounter with Kratos as they had walked over. The coward hadn't even had the guts to stick around and speak to the rest of them, instead running away when they had approached.

But Lloyd hadn't been harmed, and that was the main issue, though she knew that Kratos probably wouldn't raise a hand against his son again. But then, she had thought a lot of things about him that hadn't turned out to be true.

She shook her head, feeling her foot slide smoothly along the ground. Now was not the time or place to dwell on these thoughts.

Unfortunately, she seemed to have pulled her attention back to the present a little too late. Her foot kept sliding on the patch of ice, sending it shooting from under her, her other foot sliding from the lack of balance, sending her crashing to the floor.

Except that the ice had sent her skating sideways, to where the bridge they were walking on ended and she fell to the iced floor metres below.

Breath rushed from her lungs as her ribs collided with the frozen ground, icicles shearing through the skin her on hands as she threw them out to catch herself.

Panting she lay on the ground, wincing as she caught sight of the bloody gashes on her hands, aware of the cold ice against her cheek. Her entire body was trembling from shock and pain and for a second she simply blanked out, remembering a similar event that had occurred on the Ossa trail only a few months ago. Only then he had caught her, grabbed her arm before she could fall.

Distantly, she registered voices calling her name and she pulled herself together, pressing bleeding palms against her thighs in an attempt to stop the blood, shifting onto her haunches and looking up. She winced at the height she had fallen from as she looked into the concerned faces of her companions.

"Professor! Professor, are you ok?" Lloyd called, his brown eyes wide with worry for his teacher.

"I..I'm fine, just a little stunned. Don't worry about me."

Lloyd ignored her advice, creeping closer to the edge of the bridge and looking down.

"Lloyd Irving don't you dare jump from there!"

A hand grasped at Lloyd's shoulder and he looked around to see Zelos. "It'd be stupid to do that Lloyd. The professor's lucky that she isn't seriously hurt, but knowing your luck, you would be. Let's find a way around, mkay?"

The teen pulled back from the edge and nodded before looking back to his teacher.

"We'll be down as quick as we can. Don't move."

He sprinted away a moment later and Raine rolled her eyes as he recklessly ran over the ice, apparently unheeding of what had just happened to his teacher. She sighed watching the breath forming in front of her, remaining in her crouch until she felt well enough to stand.

Her bones ached from cold and pain as she rose and she shivered involuntarily, drawing her coat tighter around her before carefully making her way to the door across the other side of the frozen pond she was standing on. She sat on the un-iced ground, guessing that Celsius lingered behind it and she drew her breath in slowly, steadying her nerves. They would need her for the battle and she couldn't go in all jittery.

After what seemed to Raine to be an inordinate amount of time, the familiar red clothing of Lloyd appeared before her. He and Genis rushed over to her, bombarding her with questions about her wellbeing until she pushed them away, becoming a tad irritated. She wasn't some weeping child that had fallen and scraped its knee, she didn't need them to smother her with concern or comfort.

If she did need those things from them, they would have known about her relationship with Kratos by now.

The rest of the group stayed at a respectable distance, although Raine noticed that Colette was being physically held back by Presea, and they quickly turned the ice pillar statues to the correct positions in order to open the door.

Zelos walked over to Rain slowly, handing her her staff.

"You fighting?"

She nodded once, casting a spell to heal her hands and the aches in her bones and muscles, before heading into the summon spirits chamber with the rest of her team, feeling numb as she walked.

* * *

Hope it was good. As for the whole taking a bit of a rest etc. it's merely to space things out and make the time frame a bit more realistic and the rest...because I'm pretty sure fighting all those monsters and bad guys, making pacts with summon spirits and running over the world fairly exhausting.

Please review :)

* * *

Cold


	30. Sacrifices

A.N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed thus far. Over 100 now, so I'm very pleased by that.

As a side note...I've decided due to the length of this story to start being a bit more selective with the scenes that are shown. I'm also only going to write the fight scenes that are particularly important to the game (unless anyone has extreme objections - but I'm not particularly good at fight scenes anyway) so things might start getting a little choppy. Hopefully I'll be able to smooth the transitions between scenes though.

Anyway, that's it for now.

Enjoy!

* * *

Sacrifices

Light, blue and vibrant danced about the chamber that held the altar of Celsius, deep within the temple of ice. It reflected off walls as it was cast from hand, staff and kendama, shining on glittering, ice-slicked walls, refracted through the huge icicles and crystals about the room.

A ray of light, summoned through Raine's staff, shot through one of the crystals, briefly sending a rainbow of colour across the otherwise dim blue and white room, bringing life to it momentarily before the crystal melted with the heat.

Zelos panted, leaping back from Celsius as she sent a flurry of icicles towards him, hunkering down behind his shield in an effort to avoid being hit.

"Genis! Some fire would be nice!"

The young mage glanced across to Zelos before rolling his eyes and sending a flurry of fireballs towards Celsius, knocking her back and allowing Sheena to dash forwards and slam a series of cards into her, sending the summon spirit sprawling onto the floor.

Zelos took the opportunity to clamber to his feet, dashing towards the female spirit before she could rise again, leaping towards her and landing neatly on top of her. He sent a single slash across her exposed shoulder in warning before placing the tip of his sword against her throat.

"Man I rule!" he shouted, grinning wildly before back flipping away from her "I'm so cool!"

Raine rolled her eyes, lowering her staff and leaning on it slightly, trying to take the strain off her aching legs.

Celsius glared at the Chosen before leaping back into the air and looking over the group.

"Excellent," She stated, "It would appear that my freezing chill is but a summer's breeze to you. Now, speak your vow. A vow worthy of my power!"

Sheena nodded, replacing a card inside her robe. "For the sake of creating a place in which the two worlds no longer must sacrifice one another, I ask that thou grant me thy power!"

Celsius nodded "Understood. Use my power well."

With that she lifted her hands, letting her power form into a small blue gem before disappearing from the room. Sheena tucked the stone in a pocket, ready to have Lloyd mount it onto a ring later.

"We should head out of here as quickly as possible," Regal stated, stepping forwards "I shouldn't like to walk back to Flanoir in the dark and we can't camp out here."

Lloyd nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's go."

He clapped a hand to Sheena's shoulder before leading the way out, carefully skating across the frozen pond before and then out of the dungeon.

It was as they were approaching the open snow fields of the continent that Lloyd looked up suddenly, the sky turning abruptly dark.

Raine stopped behind him, looking up and frowning up at the dark clouds billowing over the forest on the continent of Altamira. She gasped, taking a step back, when a bolt of pure white lightening shot from the clouds, crashing down into the ground below.

"What's going on?!" Zelos demanded, stepping forwards, worry and confusion on his usually smiling face.

"That's…the direction of Ozette…" Presea murmured, eyes wide as she looked at the clouds in the distance.

"What could it be?" Genis asked "There's a staggering amount of mana flowing from that lightning…"

"I have a bad feeling about this." Raine murmured and Lloyd whipped around sharply to look at the rest of the group.

"Let's go!" He barked, yanking the wing pack free off his back and producing the rheiards from it. They boarded them in pairs, uncaring of the heavy snow falling about them before launching themselves into the air, heading for the billowing clouds and the funnel of smoke now rising steadily from the village of Ozette.

--

Smoke choked the air as Lloyd led his group down into the forest surrounding Ozette, the sweet smell of burning oak catching in lungs and noses as they dashed up the slope into the centre of the village. The buildings and trees were on fire, grass surrounding houses smouldering as flames licked at them, unable to catch hold of the fresh foliage. Wet leaves popped loudly as fire engulfed them and Raine coughed heavily, limping slightly as she looked around the village, heat and smoke stinging her eyes.

"This is…horrible." Presea choked, looking around at her home village.

"What happened here?!" Lloyd asked, eyes casting frantically and darting up to the sky. The clouds that had let loose the lightning had gone, leaving only clear blue sky.

"Lloyd! Look!" Genis gasped, dashing to Lloyd's side and pointing at something amidst the debris of fallen houses.

Raine saw it. A small figure clad in white lying on the ground, unconscious.

Lloyd sprinted over to the figure immediately, kneeling beside them as timbers continued to crash down around them.

"What's wrong, are you ok?" Lloyd asked, shaking the figure. He received no response.

"Lloyd! We have to get out of here!" Raine called through the smoke "Grab him and let's go!"

The boy nodded through the heat haze, hefting the figure, another boy by the looks of it, onto his back and staggering out of the village with him. Regal took the unconscious boy from Lloyd's back as Presea found a path down the hill to her home, cleared by the fire.

It was quiet in the hollow where her house stood and though the air smelt thickly of smoke, there was no sign of fire catching on the surrounding land.

Regal laid the boy on the floor and Raine limped over, checking the boy for injuries. His face was smudged with dirt, his blonde hair covered with ash, but his breathing was steady. After a few minutes, he woke, blinking wearily as the clouds that had drifted over Ozette again opened, drowning the fires out.

His eyes were an odd green-grey as he blinked, climbing to his feet and looking at his saviours warily, pushing long blonde hair from his face.

"What the hell happened here?" Lloyd asked as the boy's gaze fell on him. He shook his head slowly.

"…I don't really know. Suddenly, lightning fell from the sky, and angels attacked the village."

His voice was still unbroken, somewhat high but hushed with nervousness and shock.

"Angels?" Raine questioned, wondering if perhaps Kratos had returned to the village and done this to it. She couldn't think of any reason he might have had to destroy the village however…and the woman in the inn they had spoken to last time they were here had said he had been looking for something. Unless he had found it was here and had _wanted _to destroy it. Perhaps it was something the group would have found useful in the future?  
"They had wings," the boy answered "Those with wings are angels…right?"

"Dammit, it must have been Cruxis!" Lloyd snapped.

"Cruxis…so angels destroyed the village…" Presea whispered, looking up at the cliff behind her home.

Raine watched Regal quietly as he made his way over to Presea, asking after her welfare. Zelos pressed on regardless.

"I'm impressed you survived. Are you the only survivor? What's your name?" He asked the boy.

"My name is Mithos. I lived by myself on the outskirts of the village, so…" the boy replied hesitantly. Raine could've sword she saw Zelos' eyes narrow at the kid.

"Wait," Genis stated, stepping towards Mithos, his head cocked to the side, eyes narrowed in concentration. Raine picked up on what he was questioning a second later. "Are you a half-elf?"

"I…I…no." Mithos stuttered, taking a step back, his eyes widened with fear over the discovery of his race.

"Relax," Raine commanded gently, understanding the boy's reaction "You can tell, can't you? We have the same blood flowing through our veins as you do."

"You're half-elves, too?! But you're with humans!"

"It's ok, we're all friends." Colette soothed.

"Humans and half-elves as friends? You're lying!" Mithos scoffed, looking at Colette doubtfully.

"No, it's true," Genis assured him "My sister and I are part of this group."

"Relax." Raine commanded again softly.

"Your reaction is understandable," Regal stated softly, trying to ease the boy's tension "I've heard that the village of Ozette is particularly known for its contempt for half-elves. If you lived an isolated life in this village, you must have suffered."

Mithos looked up at Regal with wide eyes, not answering the man who must have seemed like a giant compared to the boy's own slender build. He was saved from having to, however, by Altessa's sudden appearance.

The dwarf looked around the village with a heavily furrowed brow. "What happened here?"

Lloyd turned instantly to look at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw the lightning of judgment fall towards this village. But what in the world…"

"It was the work of Cruxis angels." Presea answered.

"Presea! You've regained your true self?! How could they do this? Is this their punishment for failing the experiment?"

Raine narrowed her eyes at the dwarf's comment. What experiment had he taken part in…and did that mean he was part of Cruxis too? Her fist tightened around her staff.

"What do you mean, punishment?" Sheena asked.

"Nothing. It's nothing!" Altessa repeated, turning away abruptly and disappearing up the path to his home. Lloyd made to give chase when Tabatha stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

"**The Master believes that it is his fault that Ozette was destroyed.**" Tabatha informed him, piquing Raine's interest.

"Altessa is connected to Ozette?" Colette asked.

"**Yes**," Tabatha replied at length before turning away."**Excuse me. I am worried about the Master.**" She followed the dwarf's trail back to the house and Raine turned to study the expressions on the groups' faces. The confusion was evident.

"I'm…going to follow him." Presea decided. Lloyd agreed quietly before inviting Mithos along. They couldn't leave him here in the destroyed village. Genis agreed enthusiastically and soon enough they were following the path the dwarf and the doll had taken.

--

When they arrived at the small house, they found Altessa standing outside with Tabatha, guilt wracking his face. Turning to face them, he promptly answered their questioning expressions.

Raine listened intently as Altessa told them that he had once worked for Cruxis. A fact that got Lloyd instantly riled and Raine couldn't help but think of the way that he had treated Kratos the few times they had met since the betrayal. Now this dwarf too. Was there no-one who didn't work for Cruxis?

Altessa continued, explaining his hatred for the work he had done how he had ran but been found Rodyle. He had made a Cruxis Crystal for him, with the aid of Kate, in exchange for his life. It had just happened to be Presea who had matched the tests.

And it had seemed Yggdrasill, like Kratos, had found out that Rodyle was plotting against them…and that Altessa had aided him, thus destroying the village that had protected the dwarf out of blind rage.

The emotional strain of telling just that portion of his story, combined with Presea's refusal to forgive him, for which she couldn't be blamed, forced the dwarf to turn away and he quickly made his way back inside, Tabatha following after a moment.

Raine, however, had other ideas than to just leave him be and she coerced the group into following him inside, intent on gaining more information about Cruxis from the dwarf. Perhaps there might be a snippet of information about Kratos in there too…

--

Raine sat upright in her bed in the dark of Altessa's home, worrying her lower lip with her teeth, mulling over the information he had supplied them with.

The fact that Rodyle was planning to build his own empire using the mana cannon that had been mentioned before didn't surprise her in the least. And given the other information she had received…it didn't interest her that much other.

What had caught her attention was the mention of the system of the worlds. This 'bi-polar' system meaning that the worlds were connected via the holy ground of Kharlan and this otherworldly gate that Regal had mentioned. The system meant that the ancient war may well have been between the two worlds…Tethe'alla and Sylvarant.

Running her tongue along her lip, soothing it after the harsh biting, she pushed the covers back, glancing around the room. Everyone was sleeping soundly and she just had to discover this Otherwordly gate. Something about the name had sparked off her memory and she wouldn't sleep tonight knowing about it without investigating it. If it was what she thought it was…she had to know. She could take a rheiard, fly down there…

Sliding from the bed, she dressed into her travelling clothes quickly, ignoring the dark purple bruises on her legs from the fall yesterday. She ached as she moved, writing a note to the group before grasping her staff and pack, slipping away soundly into the night.

--

It took Raine a good deal longer to find the otherworldly gate than she had previously thought or even hoped. She had passed over many green landmasses several times over, scouring each one for the relic she had seen when they had first entered Tethe'alla…but it had proved harder to find than she had thought it would.

Eventually, however, she had spotted it. A spit of land just off the southern-most continent of Tethe'alla and she quickly pushed the rheiard into a gentle dive towards it, landing neatly and hopping off the rheiard. This was it. This was the ruin she had been searching for all of her life.

She wandered slowly into the middle of the towering black rocks until she was completely encircled by them. Lifting her head she looked up at them, scanning slowly down their lengths and eyeing the large runes carved near the bases. She ran over to one, running her hand across it slowly, testing the depth of the grooves wondering how it was made, who had carved it, what it meant. And what material was the stone, why did it act as a pole, why….

Why did it matter?

It didn't…the science behind it was irrelevant. That was not what she had come here for. True enough that it would be fascinating to find out…but that wasn't what she wanted to know and she realised suddenly one of her fundamental flaws.

All of her time spent analysing everything, all of her scholarly discipline…she had done it for so long in order to not have to deal with emotions that she found she couldn't switch it off now. Even if she desired to. It was the same as when Colette was slowly losing her humanity, turning into an angel on the journey of regeneration…it was an issue she had spoken to Kratos about at length, that she had reminded Lloyd of at Hima.

"'_It's because I'm a scholar that I'm fascinated by Colette as she continues to transform into an angel."'_

From Colette into an angel, her relationship with Kratos…and now, even the very foundations of her life…the place where she had been raised and eventually forced to leave. Even now she couldn't turn off. She slumped down against a rock, breathing heavily suddenly and pressing her face to her knees as she drew them up to her chest. What was wrong with her? Why could she not express emotion?

Was this what it was like for Kratos as an angel of Cruxis, never feeling anything because your job forbids it?

She didn't know. She didn't care right now, though it gave her a window into his world.

She hadn't even cried since he left them, too worried about what they were going to do next, too worried about everyone else and how she appeared to them to let everything out.

They said that crying was one of the first stages of healing after such a blow…did that mean she had not started healing yet? Did it mean she was still wandering around with a bloody gash where her heart should be?

It felt like it right at that moment and she shook her head. She had felt before he came along…even if it was just a tiny amount more. Now she had shut down whatever there had been.

She looked up at the rocks, catching a view of the sky as she did. It was turning orange with sunset.

Sighing, she lifted her head, trying to organize her thoughts.

Science again. She wondered what she needed to move on. A sudden release of emotion under the guise of a single one perhaps? But where could she get that from…what could provoke her into doing such a thing? And when could she get a chance to do that? She was constantly surrounded by the group now and the lack of privacy was beginning to grate on her usual solitary nature. And she wasn't about to have any great outburst of emotion on her own, never mind in front of them. When was she going to get her chance to release everything that was slowly building up insider her?

She wondered if perhaps she would go mad from it first. But no…she would find a way to get over the problem one way or another.

Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes, focusing on something else. What this place meant to her to be specific.

Time drifted by slowly and when she opened her eyes again, she realised she had dozed off in the warm sun, remembering fragments of dreams. Of her parents, of a baby Genis, of this place…

Blinking she climbed to her feet, stretching, wandering into the middle of the rocks and looking up at the largest again, letting memories flash over her mind. Until…

"Professor!"

She jerked out of her thoughts at Lloyd's voice, turning to see him and the rest of the group dashing over the crest of the hill and down to her, Regal and Presea looking slightly harassed.

"Everyone!…Why are you all here?"

"Why do you think we're here?" Genis snapped "We were worried about you!"

"It's dangerous to come here alone," Mithos murmured and Raine wondered why they had brought him along. "As a fellow half-elf, I can't just leave you here by yourself."

"Why did you come to this place?" Colette asked quietly, looking up at her teacher.

Raine's stern expression fell and she turned away, letting her head fall as she ran through hazy memories again.

"This is where Genis and I were abandoned." She answered at length, in a voice so soft that she wasn't sure whether she had actually said anything.

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd asked "You two are from Sylvarant."

"No… I happened to catch sight of this place when we rescued Colette and it's been on my mind ever since. Then, when I heard the story about the two poles which connect the two worlds, I became certain. The images in my memory…the ruin I've been searching for all this time is _this_ place."

"So what are you saying? The two of you were born in Tethe'alla?" Sheena asked.

Genis protested loudly. "It can't be! All my memories are of Iselia! I don't know this place at all."

"We were born and raised in the village of the elves, from which we were eventually ostracized," she explained softly "We were abandoned here because this place was said to be the path to the legendary Sylvarant."

"The village of the elves? The secret village said to be off-limits to anyone except elvenkind?" Mithos questioned.

"Yes. I don't know the details of what happened, but I'm positive that I was left here along with Genis when he was just a newborn. And we eventually ended up in Sylvarant."

Silence reigned for a moment as everyone took in the complications of the situation, before a voice rudely interrupted.

"Then this time, let me send you to hell instead!" It barked and Raine spun instantly with the rest of the group to face the owner of the voice.

"Kuchinawa!" Sheena exclaimed "What are you talking about?"

"My chance to avenge my parents' deaths has finally arrived." Kuchinawa spat, dark eyes narrowed as he looked down at his fellow ninja.

At a hand motion from Kuchinawa he was suddenly flanked by the Papal knights, more spreading about the area, encircling them.

"Avenge your parents?"

"Correct. You will die for killing my parents along with countless others of our village when you failed to control Volt."

"Wh…what?!"

"That was an accident!" Lloyd barked back, defending her "Why are you doing this now?"

Raine pressed her lips into a thin, grim line at the situation as Kuchinawa rattled out his reasons, blaming the girl for all the ill fate that had taken hold of the village recently.

"I did the best I could! I…" Sheena stammered.

"Enough excuses!" Kuchinawa spat, snapping his fingers and pointing down to the group. Instantly, the papal knights obeyed, thundering down the hill towards them.

Raine made to lift her staff before realising that she had left it beside the stone she had been resting against earlier and she made a dash for it, rolling out of the way of one of the knight's axes as it descended towards her, snatching the item and her bag from the ground, slinging it onto her back and looking at the group.

Lloyd, Zelos, Sheena and Regal were already well into the fray, the Chosen and Regal throwing healing spells over the group as required, keeping them just able to fight.

Raine dashed over to Genis, laying a hand on his shoulder as he looked up to her worried and unsettled by both her revelation and the current events.

It didn't take long, however, for the four fighters to defeat the knights they were fighting and she looked up to the rest of them surrounding the isle.

The others descended towards them immediately.

"Damn, there's too many of them!" Lloyd swore, his blood stained swords still free.

"Kuchinawa! Please!" Sheena pleaded to the man standing atop the hill "Don't drag them into this! I'm the one you despise right? Then I'm the only one you need to kill!"

Raine lifted her eyebrows at Sheena's self-sacrificing words.

"Sheena, stop talking like that!" Lloyd scolded, realising what she was planning to do.

"It's ok." Sheena soothed before turning back to her former friend "Kuchinawa…please!"

"Fine." Kuchinawa nodded and Sheena stepped forwards away from the group. Raine's eyes widened as she walked towards the man…but there was an odd light in the area suddenly and it prompted Raine to turn and look up at the moon.

There were beams coming from it, shooting towards the rocks and hitting the heads, turning them a glowing white. The gate was being activated.

Zelos had noticed it too apparently.

"You've got to be kiddin' me! Enough of this, Sheena!" he called before dashing forwards, grabbing her by the arm. Sheena shrieked as he grabbed hold of her and literally dragged her towards the portal that had formed, calling over his shoulder:

"Lloyd! Come on!"

He disappeared with a flash of mana a moment later.

"Everybody, into the gate!" Lloyd commanded, dashing towards it and standing by the edge, ushering them in.

Raine dashed forwards with Genis, pushing him into the portal aware only of the desire to get out of this place, away from the voices crying out in outrage behind them.

There was a brief flash of white before her eyes, then sudden darkness, the feeling of her body being pulled in every direction possible and she thought she would throw up with the odd, lurching sensation.

And then it was over, she was spat out into the daylight and onto the cool green grass of her home-world of Sylvarant.

She grunted as she hit the floor, the impact jarring already sore limbs as she clambered to her feet, watching the others appear around them. Everyone seemed shaken, including Noishe, whom she had not previously noticed, but they were all intact at least.

They stayed silent for a moment, taking shaky breaths to steady themselves after the odd trip, waiting anxiously to see if Kuchinawa had been able to follow them. When he didn't appear, they let out shaky sighs of relief.

"Where are we?" Regal asked, looking around at the unfamiliar world. Raine followed suit, her eyes alighting on the mountains in the distance.

"Probably on the outskirts of Palmacosta."

"We're back in Sylvarant?" Colette asked, Raine nodded.

"The mana level seems to have risen, but it's definitely Sylvarant." Genis elaborated. Zelos let out a loud breath.

"Man, I never thought I'd wind up coming over to this side like that."

Sheena, having got over the shock of the sudden transportation, snapped her eyes to Zelos, fury evident in her face and she stormed over to him, eyes blazing.

"Zelos, why did you butt in?!"

Zelos turned to face her, folding his arms across his chest and raising an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Don't tell me you actually wanted to die back there."

"Well…"

"Besides, those guys would have come after us regardless of whether or not you died. Pope's orders and all."

"Are you saying Kuchinawa is working for the Pope?

"It's likely," Raine answered for Zelos "Those assassins he had with him were the Pope's men, aren't they?"

"I'm certain of it." Regal nodded.

Colette approached the young woman slowly "Sheena, please don't do something like that again. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Nothing good will come of you sacrificing your life."

"Colette's absolutely right," Lloyd agreed "You should thank Zelos, Sheena."

"Th…thanks."

"Come on now, would it hurt you to give me a kiss or two?"

Raine tutted loudly at Zelos comment, turning her attention to the situation at hand, and more precisely, what they were going to do now. Mithos seemed to have had the same idea.

"But what are we gonna do now?"

"Since we're back in Sylvarant, why don't we find out what the Desians are up to?" Lloyd suggested.

"What about Mithos?" Genis asked "We can't drag him into this."

"Maybe we could ask the Palmacosta government to take care of him for a while." Colette answered.

Mithos protested immediately. "I wanna fight, too!"

"What are you saying?" Genis snapped, worry in his face as he looked at his new found friend "This journey is dangerous even if you had an Exsphere."

"He's right, Mithos," Raine backed her brother up "We do appreciate your sentiment, though."

"I suppose you're right. I understand."

With that agreed they spent the rest of the day travelling to Palmacosta. By the time they had arrived, however, the sun was setting and the government offices were closed.

Resting in the inn for the night they proceeded to speak to Neil the next day, leaving Mithos with him before heading off to Magnius' former ranch in order to investigate the Desian activity he had mentioned.

Raine thought it strange, as they left the city of Palmacosta behind and mounted their rheiards, that Neil hadn't mentioned the new members of the group that now travelled with the chosen. Or more specifically, that the Chosen's mercenary bodyguard was now nowhere to be seen. So was there something off with Neil…or simply that she was still hung up on Kratos and very very aware of his absence.

It seemed that no matter how many new people came into her life, she was still lingering on the old.

They settled down on the rheiards just outside the forest which housed the remains of the human ranch and trekked inside, wondering what the Desians were up to now.

When they reached the scene, however, things were not as Neil had said, for Botta was standing in the clearing, amidst the black debris.

"Renegades!" Lloyd spat upon seeing the second-in-command.

"So that's it. Neil and the others couldn't tell the difference between the Desians and the Renegades." Genis stated.

Botta ignored the statement completely. "We've been waiting for you."

"Are you saying you were expecting us to come here?" Regal asked, the suspicion all too clear in his voice.

"Does it really matter? We have more important things to discuss, such as joining forces."

Raine scoffed. "Unbelievable. You actually expect us to trust you after all you've done to Lloyd and Colette?"

The notion was absurd. The equivalent would be Kratos suddenly reappearing and asking to rejoin them.

"The circumstances have changed." A voice stated, and a second later, Yuan was emerging from the shadows of the trees to stand in front of the group. He dove straight into the issue of what he wanted.

"Do you know of the Giant Kharlan Tree?"

"The legendary Giant Tree said to have existed in the Holy Ground of Kharlan, right? It's the tree of life, which produces infinite mana." Zelos answered. Yuan inclined his head a fraction. Raine lifted an eyebrow…the Kharlan Tree was just a myth and Yuan was a rational man. Why did he believe in it? Then again, Kratos had been the same when she had mentioned Tethe'alla not being real. Perhaps he knew something more.

Colette, however, voiced the question. "Isn't that just a fairy tale?"

Yuan's sharp green gaze flicked to her. "The Giant Kharlan Tree indeed existed. But the Kharlan War exhausted its mana supply and the tree wilted away. And now all that remains is its seed left in the Holy Ground of Kharlan."

"The seed of the Giant Tree is in the final seal?"

Yuan inclined his head again.

"Are you talking about the Soul of Mithos?" Genis asked.

Botta laughed at the boy's question, though not unkindly. Yuan remained silent, a frown on his usually neutral face.

"Now that is a fairy tale. The Great Seed, the source of the world's mana, is the seed of the Giant Tree."

"The Great Seed is absolutely vital in order to reunite the two worlds." Yuan stated, folding his arms as he met Lloyd's gaze.

"Reunite the two worlds?!"

"I believe I told you before. Yggdrasill is the creator of the two worlds. Originally, the world was one, but Yggdrasill ripped it asunder."

"How is it even possible for someone to split the world apart?"

"It was possible for Yggdrasill," Yuan answered simply "The two worlds have managed to survive by vying for the small amount of mana seeping from the Great Seed."

"So that's why the cycle of flourishing and declining continues, and the Chosen goes on a journey of regeneration…" Colette breathed.

"But if the Great Seed germinates, the Giant Tree will be restored and the cycle will come to an end."

"How do we resurrect the Giant Tree?" Lloyd asked suddenly, latching onto Yuan's idea. Raine swore she could see a triumphant smirk flit across Yuan's face. It hadn't taken much to coerce him…

"The Great Seed is nearly dead. We must expose it to a large amount of mana in order to save it."

"There's no supply of mana like that to be found anywhere in the world." Raine pointed out quickly. She didn't want Lloyd to become too focused on saving the world via Yuan's means.

The green eyes narrowed at her statement, eyeing her haughtily for a moment, before giving way to an expression that she couldn't read. It seemed as if he had just suddenly understood something and he answered her previous statement promptly.

"Cruxis' base, Derris-Kharlan, is a comet made from a giant mass of mana. It lies suspended in the sky high above this land. All we have to do is use that."

"If that's true, why doesn't Yggdrasill revive the Giant Tree?" Lloyd asked.

"All of Derris-Kharlan's mana is being given to Martel for the sake of resurrecting her. By using the power of a Cruxis Crystal, Martel's soul lives on, existing as a part of the Great Seed."

Raine's eyes fixed on Yuan as he spoke, just catching sight of him rubbing his fingers over the ring finger of his left hand anxiously. They tightened briefly every time he mentioned Martel's name. Botta took over from his superior a second later.

"If Martel awakens, the Great Seed will be absorbed into her and disappear. The reverse also holds true. In order to prevent that from happening, Yggdrasill protects the Great Seed with the seals of the Summon Spirits."

"So that's why the Renegades are trying to stop Martel's revival." Raine mused.

"Yes. We will make the Great Seed germinate. As a result, Martel will be absorbed by the seed, and then…" Yuan trailed off.

"The Giant Kharlan Tree will be reborn." Lloyd finished.

Colette looked up at the half-elf hopefully.

"If that happens, will the two worlds become one again?"

"That I don't know. The only certainty is that the world will end if the seed is lost."

"So, you're gonna have Miss Martel be a good little girl and disappear." Zelos stated, and it seemed to Raine as if the chosen was trying to spark something off in Yuan. It seemed a strange choice of words for someone who was just making a statement.

"Martel is already dead," Yuan answered bluntly, and his fingers tightened almost painfully on his left hand, though his face remained blank. "If it weren't for Derris-Kharlan's mana, her soul would have disappeared a long time ago."

"Why is Yggdrasill so obsessed with Martel?" Genis asked suddenly and Raine nodded to herself. The question had been weighing on her mind too.

"That doesn't matter," Yuan answered, an edge to his voice "What's important is that we see to it that the Great Seed germinates."

Botta took over again "Up till now, the Great Seed has been protected by the Summon Spirits of the declining world."

"The mana links." Lloyd answered, understanding for once.

"Correct. Now that the links have begun to unravel, the Great Seed's protection has weakened."

"Because we've been forming pacts with the Summon Spirits of both worlds."

"Now I understand why you want us to join you. It's because we have Sheena, a summoner." Raine murmured. Yuan nodded curtly.

"Yuan," Lloyd called, turning to the man, authority in his voice. Yuan matched the gaze easily, something of a smirk on his lips as he looked at the boy "are you with Cruxis? Or are you with the Renegades?"

Yuan hesitated, before seeming to realise he wouldn't get them to co-operate if he didn't answer.

"I am with Cruxis, and I am also the leader of the Renegades."

"In other words, a traitor." Zelos snapped. Yuan ignored him, keeping his gaze on Lloyd.

"So, what's your decision?"

"Ok." Lloyd agreed. Yuan seemed satisfied by the decision. Raine on the other hand, wasn't and she turned to Lloyd.

"Lloyd, you're going to trust him?"

"He's revealed the fact that he is a traitor. He's putting himself on the line. That has to mean something." Lloyd explain and Raine swallowed. Was he about to get himself into more trouble…or could traitors be trusted again? If Kratos were here and had aid for them, would Lloyd allow him to rejoin? Would _she _be able to trust him in the party again?

"You were headed towards Rodyle's ranch, correct?" Yuan asked, his voice lighter than before.

"You sure know a lot about what we're doing. Do you have a spy watching us or something?" Zelos asked.

"No kidding. But either way, we have to stop that Mana Cannon thing before it's completed."

"We also have a debt to pay back to Rodyle." Presea added.

"The ranch and Mana Cannon systems should be interlinked. Disabling the control room should be our first priority." Yuan informed them.

Raine lifted her eyes to look at him. "You seem to know…quite a lot about them."

"We have a reason to infiltrate Rodyle's ranch as well," Botta responded "We can guide you to the entrance, if you'd like."

"Why are you going to the ranch?" Sheena asked.

"We need to make preparations to fire mana at the Great Seed. Oh, by the way, the Rheaird dimensional transfer system will be offline while we make our preparations. You'll have to wait until after we infiltrate the ranch if you want to get back to Tethe'alla."

"Got it." Lloyd nodded.

Yuan seemed content at the boy's decision. "Talk to Botta when you're ready," he turned his gaze to Botta, his voice dropping to a softer, quieter tone. "I'll leave the rest to you, Botta."

--

The Remote Island Human Ranch was one of the singularly most complex and annoying structures Raine thought she had ever been in.

Everything was controlled by sounds given off by the sorceror's ring, and after a couple of minutes of repetitive beeping, she was utterly irritated by it. She supposed it matched the ranch leader though, she thought as she stared up at Rodyle in his control room. He had an extremely irritating tone to his voice too. That didn't, however, stop him from being insane and extremely dangerous.

Although his voice was still just as annoying as he equipped the Cruxis crystal and morphed into some grotesque monster and charged at them head on, determined to prove his power.

* * *

I thought the ending was a bit abrupt, but hopefully it got the point across.

Please review :)


	31. Revealing truths

A.N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed. 100+, which has made me extremely happy. Not much to say so..

Enjoy!

* * *

Revealing truths

Rodyle's power, even with the Cruxis crystal, turned out to be rather pathetic Raine thought as she watched him collapse to the floor. Ok, four on one was rather difficult to fight against, but he had boasted about having the power to do it. Clearly, he did not.

And now that supposed great power of his was having adverse effects.

Rodyle gasped loudly through a fang-toothed mouth. "What's happening?… My…my body…my body is disintegrating! Pronyma, you tricked me!"

The fact didn't, however, stop the mutated creature from dragging himself to the control panel, slamming a thick club-like, green limb down onto it.

"But I won't die alone! I'm taking you all with me!" There was a quiet beep, light activating on the console as Rodyle slid back, collapsing again. He didn't rise after that.

Raine dashed over to the console. "No! He's activated the self-destruct system!"

"Botta warned us not to destroy this place!" Colette cried as she and the rest of the group dashed over. Raine scowled at the fact.

"Dammit! We have to stop it!" Lloyd shouted, slamming a fist down onto the domed surface. Presea shook her head.

"Impossible. The only one among us who can handle this machinery is Raine…"

"Professor!" Lloyd cried again.

"I know! But I can't do this by myself!" She snapped, suddenly aware of the pressure on her. If she didn't stop the machine, their plans of reviving the great seed could never happen.

Fortunately, she was saved from trying to stop the machine when the door slid open. Botta dashed in, flanked by two soldiers, making his way over to the console.

"We'll take over from here. The rest of you go and escape through the hatch over there."

"Botta! You're ok!" Lloyd exclaimed.

Botta's eyebrows furrowed. "There'll be plenty of time for chit-chat later. Leave, now. You'll only get in our way!"

Lloyd nodded before turning, guiding the group to the escape hatch that lead to the area beyond the control room. The hatch slid shut behind them as they made their way onto safe land, and Raine would've sighed in relief were it not for the sight of water seeping into the control room they had just been in…where the three men still stood, working.

"No! We've got to open that door!" Lloyd shouted, dashing over to hatch and pushing at it desperately.

"Move!" Regal suddenly commanded to the boys, moving past them to the large glass window, proceeding to kick it as powerfully as he could. It didn't so much as splinter.

Raine stared into the room, never letting her eyes leave the men who were sacrificing themselves to save the group.

"Botta did this on purpose. They knew the water was coming and locked it from the inside."

"Why would they do that?!" Colette asked, staring at the men.

"If the door opens, this area will be flooded as well. And as you can see, the ceiling is covered by a dome. There's nowhere for the water to escape."

"They did it…to save us?" Presea asked hesitantly.

"Dammit! Isn't there anything we can do?!…" Lloyd barked at the window.

Botta looked up a second later, meeting the boy's eyes as he spoke through the speaker system.

"We've stopped the self-destruct system."

"Botta! Open the door! If we destroy the dome overhead…"

Botta shook his head, making his way from the console to the upper area of the control room, standing by the window to look at Lloyd.

"Our goal was to modify each ranch's mana reactor in order to fire mana at the Great Seed. Now that we've finished reprogramming this control room, our mission is complete. We need you to get the message to Yuan that we have succeeded."

"Tell him yourself!" Lloyd protested "Open the door, now!"

Botta shook his head slowly as Lloyd drew his swords and slashed heavily at the glass. Unsurprisingly, it had no effect. Botta continued to speak to the group, despite the water now rising to the level of his waist.

"We pray for your success in regenerating the world. Please see to it that Martel is finally allowed her eternal sleep, for Yuan's sake as well."

Raine took in a shaken breath as, a moment later, a shutter came down over the window, blocking the sight of Botta and the other mens' deaths from them. Colette cried out loudly at the loss of their lives and Raine let her head drop. But something about Botta's final words puzzled her even in this predicament.

'"_For Yuan's sake as well."'_

Why would Martel's eternal rest give Yuan relief?

The group stood in silence for a moment, shocked and saddened even over the mens' sacrifice for them. A few weeks ago they had been trying to kill them…

"Man…" Zelos breathed heavily, lifting his eyes to meet Raine's own downcast gaze.

Despite the dire situation that had just occurred however, the fates were not so kind as to allow the group to mourn the men and give them a minute of silence in respect for their deaths.

Presea turned suddenly, gasping. "Everyone, behind you!"

The group spun, around at her words, finding a group of Rodyle's pets crawling from their cages and taking to the air in front of them.

"Transport dragons," Raine spat "Their cages probably opened when the self-destruct system was activated."

"Dammit!" Lloyd swore, wrenching his blades free of their sheaths and diving towards the creatures, head first.

Raine jumped back, beginning to cast immediately, grunting in exertion. The fight with Rodyle had exhausted her and her body was still sore from the fall in the ice temple, dark bruises blossoming along her left side.

Nevertheless, she fought on, healing the group as required, attacking whenever she could until the dragons they were fighting fell. But still there were more behind them.

"There are too many of them!" Sheena called, cards in hand.

"If we lose, we'll never be able to pass on Botta's message." Colette reminded them, looking around at the dragons above them.

There seemed to be no way out of this for them…unless…

"Mithos!" Genis suddenly cried, snapping his fingers and pulling out the panpipes Mithos had given him earlier. He played a gentle tune on it and for a moment, nothing happened and Raine feared that the action had fallen through, that no aid would come.

But then a split second later, there was a shape soaring over head, a giant bird that released a flurry of attacks that shot through and shattered the glass dome of the building, the shards of glass and remainder of the attack killing the reptiles.

"Wh…what was that?!" Lloyd gasped, looking up.

"Was that a Summon Spirit?" Genis questioned, eyes wide.

A disembodied voice, hazy in the air, answered a second later. "Genis! Raine! Everybody!"

The rest of the group lifted their heads to look at the shattered remains of the roof at the sound of Mithos' voice, confusion in their faces.

"What's Mithos doing here?" Lloyd asked, frowning up at the sky.

"Let's worry about the how and why later." Raine called. "Get on the rheiards."

Lloyd nodded, pulling the rheiards out of the wing pack at her command, boarding his own and leading them up into the relative safety of the air.

It was as they levelled their flight out as they left the ranch behind that they saw Mithos, riding on his own rheiard in the clouds ahead.

"Mithos! It's really you!" Genis called as the other boy steered his rheiard to ride alongside them "But what was that attack just now? And how did you get a Rheaird?"

"I'm sorry," Mithos sighed "I was worried about all of you, and I just couldn't stay behind. So I asked the Renegades to let me borrow a Rheaird."

"But what was that powerful attack?" Colette asked, lifting her hand from the rheiards controls to brush a lock of hair from her face. The rheiard wobbled dangerously.

"That was a…" Mithos paused "Actually, I don't know either. When I heard the flute, I tried my best to get inside, so I just started blasting the dome with fireballs. Then all of a sudden, a golden sparkling bird appeared and helped me."

"Golden sparkling bird?" Sheena questioned "Could it be…Aska?!"

"It can't be!" Raine responded, confused "Why would a Summon Spirit…?"

Lloyd turned to look over his shoulder at the rest of the group "Do you think Genis called Aska when he played the flute?"

"Mithos' flute?" Genis asked.

"I wonder…" Raine mused, thinking over her research on summon spirits. "We'll need to investigate the flute itself to find out the truth."

"But shouldn't you all rest first?" Mithos suggested quietly, as if he were fearful of being scolded "Let's head back to Palmacosta. I must apologize to Neil…I left without telling him."

"All right…it's not like we'll figure anything out by dwelling about it here. Let's head back." Lloyd agreed.

Zelos muttered a hesitant agreement and Raine shot him in a questioning look. The Chosen ignored her, continue to glare ahead darkly and she frowned. What was his problem?

--

They arrived on the outskirts of Palmacosta sometime later, packing away the rheiards and making their way into town on foot, heading for the government offices. They found an anxious looking Neil standing behind his desk, staring idly at a piece of paper before him and his head jerked up at their entrance.

"Everyone! You're back!"

The relief in his voice caused Mithos to hang his head. "Neil, I'm sorry for leaving without telling you."

Neil shook his head. "I'm so relieved you're safe! I was so worried about you. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

Raine called the governor-generals attention to her a moment later. There were more important things to think about than emotions and wellbeing at the moment.

"You can relax, the Palmacosta ranch is not operational."

"That's good to hear," Neil smiled "So what are you going to do now?"

Lloyd answered quickly before Colette had a chance to open her mouth and let the truth slip. A fact which actually impressed Raine. For Lloyd, that was impressive thinking.

"Well, we need to continue the world regeneration journey…right, Colette?" He nudged Colette gently in the ribs.

"Ah, y…yes. We're…uh…working hard on it."

"I'm sure you are! We're all counting on you, Chosen One!"

Raine almost rolled her eyes at the total belief these people had in the chosen and the church of Martel, so believing as they were of the total lie. Then again, she had to remind herself, hindsight is always 20/20.

She shook her head, it was easy to be cynical when you knew the truth.

"I…I'm so sorry! I know how important it was!"

Raine snapped out of her thoughts at her brother's cry, turning to look at him. Mithos' flute lay in his hands, nearly shattered.

"No, it's all right," Mithos shook his head smiling softly "The flute may be broken, but my memories of my sister are still intact."

"Mithos, I'm sorry. If I can fix it…" Lloyd offered. Mithos shook his head again.

"It's all right. It was very old. But thank you."

Which reminded the professor "Mithos. Does this flute have some kind of special power?"

"I don't know. But my sister said that it was made from the nut of a tree that became extinct long ago."

Raine nodded "That knowledge may be useful later on. Let's keep it in mind."

"So then, what now?" Zelos asked, speaking up for the first time in quite a while. Which was a marvel in itself.

"We have to tell Yuan about Botta." Colette reminded. Mithos' head snapped up at the mention of Yuan's name his expression darkening slightly, and Raine caught the look just before it disappeared again behind the soft expression Mithos usually wore.

"Yeah. We also need to find out if we can use the Rheairds so Mithos can return to Tethe'alla." Lloyd answered turning towards the door.

He lead them out into the streets of Palmacosta, looking up at the late afternoon sun before leading them out of the city and taking to the sky again.

--

The sun was setting when they finally settled into the swirling sand outside the Renegade's Sylvarant base and Raine squinted at the sun before drawing her coat closer about herself as the chill began to settle in for the night.

Mithos quickly excused himself from entering the base, wanting to be alone and Raine nodded, taking the rheiard from him that he had borrowed and heading into the base. They were quickly shown to Yuan's office and allowed inside, finding the Renegade leader sitting behind his desk, his eyes focused on something in front of him as he absently tapped a pen against his lower lip.

He stood when they entered, pulling his gaze away from whatever it was he was looking at to give the group his full attention.

"You're back." He stated by way of greeting, sharp green eyes moving over the faces of the group steadily.

"Yuan…" Colette murmured, able to hold his gaze only briefly as she prepared to give the half-elf the news. "Botta is…" She trailed off, seemingly unable to finish her sentence.

He finished it for her a moment later. "He died." He stated, his voice strong but quiet.

Lloyd nodded "He asked us to tell you that he completed his mission."

"I see… Then we'll activate the dimensional transfer system. You may go between the worlds as you like."

Lloyd's face contorted with anger at the man's brisk response. He seemed to be less effected by the news than much of the group was.

"Is that all you have to say?!" Lloyd yelled, his voice raised in anger. Yuan regarded him with a cool stare. "Botta gave his life for the Renegades and…"

"Lloyd!" Regal interrupted the fuming boy, his voice commanding as he scolded the boy "It is not our place to speak."

"This guy has been with that Botta for a long time. Nothing we say will make a difference." Zelos added, glancing up to Yuan who remained silent.

"Fine." Lloyd sulked, falling back to join the rest of the group.

Raine turned to Yuan, the main news having been delivered, to discuss some of the smaller issues.

"Our companion borrowed a Rheaird from you, so we'll return it to you now."

Yuan's brow crumpled and he looked at her, confused.

"Borrowed one of our Rheairds? We haven't…" He stopped himself, thinking deeply.

"What's wrong?" Presea asked, noting his confusion, something that Raine found quite suspicious. Surely he should know the comings and goings of his vehicles?

At length, he shook his head. "No, it's nothing. We'll take care of it. Ask the control room staff about procuring energy for the dimensional transfer system."

Raine nodded, turning to leave, guiding the group out of the door, hearing Lloyd murmur something to Yuan before joining the rest of the group.

From there they paid a quick visit to the technicians to discuss the rheairds before heading back out into the desert, finding it now to be dark and extremely cold. Mithos greeted them as they returned before clambering onto the back of Genis' rheaird, riding with him as they made their way to Altessa's house for the night.

--

They spent the night at Altessa's house, resting after a long, exhausting day and rising late into the next day. Once they were ready to head off again, they turned to Mithos as they loitered on the doorstep, Genis in particular saying his goodbyes.

"I'll be praying for your success in avenging your sister." Mithos added to Presea as they prepared to depart.

Raine turned to look at Mithos, confused. What was this about Presea's sister?

"Avenging Presea's sister? What are you talking about?" Regal asked, clearly as oblivious as Raine.

Lloyd snapped his fingers "Oh, that's right. We haven't told Regal and Raine about it."

Zelos balked. "Um…hey, you know, that's not a topic we really need to drag out now, right?"

"What are you talking about, Zelos?!" Genis snapped "This is important! Presea's sister was killed!"

"Killed?" Regal asked as Raine remained silent, thinking over her knowledge of Presea. She did recall Regal once asking her if she had a sister…

"It seems Presea's younger sister served under a noble named Bryant. But then, her master Bryant…"

Regal looked startled at the news as Sheena flew off the wall, complaining about the supposed killer.

"It can't be!" he gasped suddenly "Presea, what was your sister's name?"

Presea looked up at him, confused. "Alicia."

"Do you know something about this?" Lloyd asked.

"I may know who that murderer might be…take me to Altamira."

Within seconds of the information they were mounting the rheairds, saying hurried goodbyes to Mithos as they took to the skies again, heading for Altamira. Once there they made their way to the 'Lezarano Company' headquarters, up to the sky terrace at the very top.

They fell silent as they reached the top and Raine wondered what was going on as they crept out of the elevator. Voices sounded up ahead and she could swear one of them sounded familiar. Regal clearly recognised them both as he stepped out to meet the owners of the voices.

"How about I tell you instead?" He offered.

"Master Regal!" One of them panted, surprise in his eyes as he looked up to him. "What are you doing here?"

"So the president himself decided to pay a visit. Perfect." Vharley smirked, looking to Regal.

"President?" Lloyd questioned, looking around at the rest of the group for answers. No one seemed to be able to offer one though as Regal continued speaking with the two men.

"Are you stupid?" Vharley hissed, and Raine pulled her attention back to the discussion "I don't need Rodyle. I've got the Pope himself on my side! And there's plenty of people around who'd love to get their hands on some Exspheres!"

"That's enough." Presea stepped forwards "I cannot forgive you for killing an innocent person."

Raine frowned as the girl stepped forwards, preparing to pull her axe free. She was only stopped by a sudden burst of smoke that erupted next to Vharley, revealing the shady figure of Kuchinawa.

"Kuchinawa!" Sheena exclaimed "You're working with this guy?!"

Kuchinawa said nothing as Vharley continued on.

"Soon, the King will die and the Pope will take over. And when that happens, I'm going to grind your pathetic Lezareno Company into the ground!"

Kuchinawa stepped forwards a moment later, taking Vharley by the arm and throwing down another smoke bomb, disappearing again.

Regal sighed heavily, turning from his assistant, George to face the rest of the group.

"My name is Regal Bryant. I was granted the title of Duke by His Highness, and also the president of Lezareno Company."

Zelos snapped his fingers in recognition "I saw you at one of the Princess' birthday parties."

Regal nodded solemnly and the realisation dawned on Raine as she looked at him, considering his name.

"Then, Alicia's killer, Bryant, is…"

"W…wait, it can't be…Regal…" Colette protested. Regal turned away to look at the grave, kneeling before it, whispering softly to the person who lay there, brushing his fingers over the stone implanted in the front of the grave.

A second later, there was a soft light from above his head and the image of a person slowly materialised, a young girl with short pink hair and large blue eyes.

"Alicia!" Regal gasped, straightening.

Raine watched with fascination and sorrow as Regal spoke to the girl, taking in the story of what had happened…how she'd been experimented on, how it had gone wrong, how she had begged him to kill her, to save her from herself.

"Just like Marble…" Genis whispered.

'_Just like Marble,' _Raine thought _'Just like Kratos and Anna.'_

She looked to Lloyd, finding his face drawn with the pain and sorrow of recognition before turning her gaze back to Regal as he looked at the person he loved most. His broken grief and remorse, his utter guilt.

She suddenly had an insight into what Kratos must have felt all those years ago…but he had lost his son as well and in a heartbeat, she couldn't believe that the man was who he said he was, that his interfering was just to get in their way. Not with that kind of pain in his heart and that blood on his hands…not with Lloyd alive and breathing before him.

"Genis and I once experienced the same thing you did," Lloyd murmured to Regal "And I also imagined what it must have been like…for my dad. When my mom turned into a monster, and he struck her down, he must have suffered as well."

"Your father did the same thing?"

"That's what I heard. I don't know if the decisions you or my dad made were correct, but I don't think my mom would have wanted my dad to punish himself and live the way you have."

Raine let her eyes drop from the scene before her as she thought back to everything Kratos had ever said about Anna and Lloyd, the way he had been so angry at Kvar, so contented when in Luin…

It was only when Genis tugged on her hand that Raine lifted her head, focusing on the reality of the situation. Alicia had gone, her exsphere destroyed and the rest of the group, with the exception of Presea and Regal were standing around the elevators, ready to carry on with their journey.

Raine quickly distanced herself from the grieving pair, not wanting to invade their privacy and she stood awkwardly, in silence with the rest of the group as they waited for the others.

They joined them after some time and followed the rest of the group down to the bottom of the Lezareno building and then out of Altamira.

"So where do we go now?" Genis asked quietly.

Zelos lifted his head. "Well we're still breaking the seals, right? The temple of darkness is supposed to be just south of Meltokio and since that's the last one in Tethe'alla…"

"We may as well head out there." Raine finished, looking back at the distant continent. "But we better get out there soon, it could take us a while to get there."

Lloyd agreed. "Alright. Sheena, you up for it?"

"Of course, let's go make that pact!"

"Alright guys, let's get to that temple."

--

They found the temple of darkness nestled deep in the mountain ranges south of Meltokio, a smooth purple and black dome the only feature that announced its existence. They set down on the spit of earth just outside the cave that led into it before heading inside together.

The name 'darkness' may have featured heavily in the name of this particular temple, home to Shadow as it was, but Raine had not quite been prepared for just _how _dark it would be.

"Wow…It's pitch black…" Colette commented, her voice the only part of her that could be detected.

"It seems that the power of the Summon Spirit of Darkness has a strong effect on this area." Raine replied, lifting her head to see if there was any sign of light. But there was nothing.

"Man, it's so dark," Lloyd mumbled from somewhere, taking a few paces in some directions. There was a thud a moment later. "Whoa!"

Zelos whimpered loudly "My precious foot!"

Raine tutted "We can't proceed like this."

"Let's try the Elemental Research Laboratory." Sheena suggested "They've supposedly done research here before, so they should know a way to light this darkness."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Come on, everyone. Let's go back outside."

"Ok!" Colette chirped, turning around and bounding out into the weak red light from outside.

"M…my foot…" Zelos whimpered and Raine reached out in the direction his voice had come from, taking hold of long wavy hair in the darkness and giving it a tug, pulling the Chosen in the right direction out of the temple.

The light outside wasn't all that much better, the former blazing glory of the sunset fading to dull washed out colours that were rapidly being replaced by the dark blue of the night sky. The group mounted their rheairds, wanting to get back to Meltokio before darkness set in.

Raine gnawed at her lower lip as they walked through the sewers and out into the city, thankful that Lloyd guided the group into the pockets of shadow that the street lights left where their beams didn't fall. Within a few minutes they were in the inn, Zelos ordering a room as he threw on a dazzling smile to the receptionist. She didn't return it this time but handed him the keys.

"My husband will show you up to your rooms." She muttered quietly with an apologetic smile as her husband grunted at Zelos and stormed off upstairs.

--

They woke somewhat late into the next day and immediately rose, taking breakfast, which was more near lunch, at the inn before heading out into the street, turning towards the lab around the corner.

Lloyd yawned, stretching his arms above his head as he walked along the street, not noticing the tall figure approaching him and he would have bumped into him if it weren't for the fact that the man, at least, was paying attention. He stopped before him, lifting an eyebrow at the boy as the rest of the group halted behind Lloyd.

The boy's arms finally dropped and he blinked a couple of times before looking at the man in front of him. He recoiled instantly.

"Kratos!"

Kratos cast the boy a glance and Raine tensed as he walked past his son and stopped again before Presea, looking down at her and ignoring all else.

"I heard that sacred wood only grows in the area near Ozette. Is that correct?" he asked.

Presea nodded, looking up at him. "Y…yes…"

Kratos paused, concern briefly flashing across his face. "Then, does that mean that sacred wood no longer exists?"

"The wood I cut is stored in the church."

"So that really is all that is left…" Kratos murmured to himself. "It seems I have no choice."

Raine stared at him. He clearly knew that Ozette was gone and was looking for sacred wood. But why?

The man shook his head, taking a step forwards in an attempt to leave when Lloyd called out to him.

"Wait!"

Kratos halted, his shoulders tensing in a movement that must have been imperceptible to everyone but Raine.

"Why is Cruxis worried about sacred wood?"

The seraph turned to face his son.

"Because it is necessary. …What other reason could there be?"

"Necessary for what?!"

His eyes narrowed and Raine shifted, looking between the two males. Both of them resolute and unwavering in their beliefs.

"I do not feel the need to tell you that now," he answered, his arms crossing over his chest as he looked at Lloyd. He turned away a moment later and continued his exit before he stopped himself.

"By the way, Lloyd," he added, seemingly as an afterthought "The Summon Spirit pacts you are currently forming…you _must_ stop."

Raine stared at him incredulously. Did he actually think they would stop because he told them to? Him. The man who betrayed them. She thought not.

"Do you think we'll stop because you said so?!"

"It is dangerous to engage in activities in which you cannot predict the outcome," Kratos warned, his voice low. "It may result in something that you cannot undo."

"But if there is no other way to save both worlds, then we have to do it!" Lloyd countered.

Kratos turned, meeting the boy's gaze once again. "Be patient, Lloyd."

He turned away again, one final time and left, leaving the group standing in the street, confused and worried. Raine stared after him for a moment longer than the others.

Part of her wanted to believe him and do as he asked, to stop making the pact because, surely, he knew more about the subject than them. But then…he could just be trying to protect Yggdrasill's world…so how could she believe him, after everything she knew about him…

She turned away as Lloyd turned and headed for the lab, leaving the meeting place behind. Breathing deeply, Raine forced memories and emotions to the back of her mind before following Lloyd to the elemental research academy.

--

Kratos strode away from the group, leaving them staring in his wake, trying to keep his head up, his shoulders and his back straight as he walked down a street, past the shops and around to the area that held the manhole cover that led to the sewers.

Glancing around, he pushed the cover aside and climbed down into the hole before recovering, letting his wings release to give him some light as he loitered in the dark.

If the girl's words were true, and she seemed to be the source of the knowledge about sacred wood in these recent years, then he was going to have to resort to thievery. It was a practice he detested…but it was necessary. If he needed sacred wood, then he needed sacred wood and if that meant raiding a church to get it…well, so be it.

Sitting in the darkness, he leant his head back against the wall behind him, watching how the softly pulsing blue light of his wings cast over his white hands, making them appear almost dead with the colour. He would have to wait until darkness before he could make his move…which meant that he had some time to kill. He could return to Derris-Kharlan for a time…but flying their just for a few hours of listening to Yggdrasill rave about his plan seemed like a great waste of energy. The only reason to go back would be Yuan…and his visits to Derris- Kharlan were becoming few and far between. Plus, the last time Kratos had seen him, a few hours ago, he had not seemed in the greatest of moods. In fact, he had seemed rather distracted and downtrodden…a clear sign that something was wrong. Not that he would admit it if Kratos asked him.

Still whatever had happened, wherever he had been, it had affected him.

Come to think of it….where _did _Yuan go when he wasn't on Derris-Kharlan?

Kratos shook his head, listening to the steady drip of dirty water droplets in the distance, the squeaking and scratching of the sewer rats.

He supposed Yggdrasill was starting to wonder where _he _disappeared to almost everyday. Which meant that he should probably go and make an appearance now… but again it was a waste. And besides, if he stayed here, he could keep an eye on Lloyd's group when they came back, for his Lord.

Or at least, that's what he could keep telling himself anyway. He knew the reason really… the same reason as why it had been so difficult to confront the group, why he had ran away at Flanoir, why he had kept his gaze only on Lloyd and Presea during the entire meeting and why he had wanted to leave so soon.

He didn't want to see the hatred for him in her eyes still, didn't want to see what damage he had done to her. When he had seen her from a distance…she had been limping, carrying herself in a way that suggested she was in pain and he had immediately flicked his gaze to the yawning Lloyd. A far less pretty sight, but it hurt him less.

He supposed he should wonder exactly why he could look at his son, whom he betrayed, but not a woman he had had a brief relationship with, but the answer came relatively quickly. He _knew _Lloyd. He could see the elements of both himself and Anna in the boy. So he knew that when the boy stared at him with hatred and anger every time they met, it wasn't real. It was a show he was putting on because he _thought_that he should hate him.

The same way Anna had for a few days after he had told her his true age, his status, his connections with Cruxis.

Raine…her hatred was real and even if there was some other element of emotion in her aimed at him, she still hated him. Just as he still cared for her, even though he pretended, every time he walked past, that he didn't. Because he thought he should, to make it easier for her.

She didn't _think _that she should hate him, or act like she should. She _knew _she should.

That was the difference. That was what stopped him from meeting her eyes.

--

Raine shook her head as Kate walked away from them, thinking about the other half-elf's dilemma. To have your own father as the pope…trying to kill you just because you aged differently from him…there was nothing she could compare that to in her own experience. Or perhaps there was. After all, her own mother had abandoned her and Genis.

"This is…sad. Why do things wind up like this?" Colette asked as the woman retreated.

"Two forces will always oppose each other. Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, elves and humans, heaven and earth." Regal murmured.

"And those in the middle are sacrificed. Half-elves, the Great Seed, and the Chosen as well." Raine added, looking at the girl with her own sorrowful expression.

"It's wrong to say that someone can be sacrificed." Lloyd protested. Zelos stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder, looking around at what was left of Ozette as he spoke.

"But anytime there are two people one will be sacrificed by the establishment of superiority. It's the same way with countries and worlds. Equality…is an illusion."

He pulled his hand away as Lloyd grunted, rubbing at an injury he had received in the battle at the coliseum in order to rescue Kate.

"Birth, status, appearance, race…you're engulfed by these things." Sheena pointed out, backing Zelos up for once. Lloyd shook his head forcefully.

"But…everyone has the same heart. Everyone hurts when they're rejected. But people forget that."

"Yes," Colette agreed sadly "If only everyone could live thinking about each other like that…"

Presea looked up at the comment, away from the grave of her father.

"Little by little…people can change."

Lloyd nodded. "The only thing we can do is to believe in that and start doing what we can."

"Yes," Raine smiled at the boy's sudden returned determination "What we can do right now is to release the Summon Spirits' mana links."

"Yeah. Let's get the blue candle from the Elemental Research Laboratory so we can form a pact with Shadow."

She nodded at the boy as the rest of the group agreed quietly, casting her gaze about for Kate before they mounted their rheairds and headed towards Meltokio again. She only hoped they wouldn't run into Kratos this time.

It was fortunate that they didn't but by the time they reached Meltokio, it was already dark again and they were forced to take shelter in the inn again. They didn't, however, get that much rest.

About midnight, an alarm suddenly sounded in the distance, a warning bell clanging loudly and Raine stumbled out of bed to the shutters, throwing them open and looking up towards the cathedral.

Lloyd poked his head out of his window a couple of feet away. "Wha's goin' on?"

"I don't know. But the cathedral bells don't usually ring at midnight."

Zelos flung his own shutters open, looking across at the two as Regal joined him in their window, Genis squeezing his head past Lloyd as Sheena joined Raine.

"The bells only ring at ceremonies and in times where there's trouble at the church." Zelos explained, looking down into the street.

Papal knights were running from the shelters near the gates up towards the church.

"Someone's broken in and stolen the sacred wood. Apprehend them immediately!" the leader of them ordered as he ran up the street.

"Sacred wood?" Lloyd questioned, looking up at Raine "You don't think it's…"

Raine shook her head. "I wouldn't have thought Kratos so reckless as to steal from a church." She answered, before looking up in surprise. There, hovering in the air above the church for a fleeting second was the flash of bright blue wings, beating steadily in the night sky before they pivoted, their owner disappearing with a streak of blue.

Ok…so she _didn't _know Kratos as well as she thought.

The rest of the night was spent fitfully trying to sleep by the group but in the end, most of them gave up and began to get ready for the next day.

Taking breakfast early, they heaved their packs onto their backs before trudging groggily to the elemental research academy. The team, equally as tired, handed them the candle without question, and with the object in hand the group left the city, heading for the temple of darkness.

* * *

Hope it was good.

As a side note updates might become a little erratic over the next couple of chapters since I'm buried under a mountain of assignments. 7 of them! So apologies in advance for if I'm late with updating but...uni work comes first.

Reviews greatly appreciated as always.


	32. Severed

A.N: Ok first off, apologies for how late this chapter was. I did warn before hand that updates might be a little erratic for a few weeks or months, depending on how quickly I get all my assignments done.

Secondly, thanks for reviews.

Enjoy!

* * *

Severed

The temple of darkness, Raine found, was aptly named, even with the blue candle lighting the way for them. There was a pool of yellow light about her as she walked with the candle ahead of the group, Lloyd at her side with his swords drawn, just in case something should leap out of the darkness at her. The walls and floor seemed to move every time the flame flickered.

Cold breezes blew at her from every direction and despite the dryness of the air, she felt as if the entire place was dank.

The collection of shadows that had followed them had done nothing to ease her tension and even now as they headed back out of the temple, exhausted after the fight with Shadow, she still felt uneasy.

It was a relief, therefore, when they finally stepped out into the warm bright Tethe'allan afternoon, blinded momentarily but so grateful for the light, nevertheless.

They headed off to Zelos' mansion quickly to rest for the remainder of the day, before they returned to Sylvarant for the last leg of the journey.

--

Triet desert seemed hotter than Raine recalled as they touched down outside the Triet ruins, packing the rheairds away before heading into the ruins, the dark stone blisteringly hot as they entered.

But the inside was much the same. The same monsters wandering around, the same candles flickering in alcoves, the same lava bubbling below them as they walked…and the same seal room flecked with ash and scorch marks as Sheena strode to the altar, calling Efreet forth.

It seemed so long ago that she had stood here with Colette, Lloyd, Genis and Kratos, fighting their first monster together, releasing the first seal…watching Colette obtaining her wings. Watching Kratos as he fought, admitting that he might just be a useful alliance on this journey, but knowing she was already interested in him, despite the suspicion towards him that she had held.

Lost in memories as she was, the battle blurred past her as she threw spells out to the group, healing burns and scrapes until Efreet submitted, acknowledging their power.

He folded huge muscled arms across his red chest. He looked like the devil incarnate.

"Your power is admirable," he spoke in a low, growling voice "Very well. Speak your vow."

Sheena stepped up. "Right now, at this very moment, there are people who are suffering. I vow to save those people."

Efreet nodded. "I bestow upon you my raging inferno."

Sheena smiled and Raine looked up into the air next to Efreet wondering if…

There was a sudden flash of ice blue and white light and a second later, Celsius had materialised in the air next to Efreet, the cool blues and greys of her form looking misplaced next to the red and yellow of Efreet.

Efreet turned to her. "Celsius…it has been a long time."

"I never thought I'd have to see your face again." Celsius scoffed.

"While we may be opposing forces, must you avoid me so earnestly?"

Raine tilted her head slightly, watching the interactions between the summon spirits. Despite Corrine's presence, she had never really considered what the summon spirits thought of one another and how their relationships had formed, governed by mana links and summonings.

"What choice do we have? We are harmful to one another." Celsius replied, her voice taking on more of an understanding note for a split second.

"Then perhaps we should be joyous that our mana has been severed."

"Who knows?" Celsius shrugged "What is clear, though, is that this situation will affect the entire world. All we can do now is trust in the pact-maker."

"Yes," Efreet rumbled "We leave everything in your hands."

Celsius nodded, looking at Efreet one last time before disappearing again. Efreet watched her go before forming his power into a Garnet stone that he gave to Sheena before following his opposing force's suit and vanishing.

Sheena grinned as Lloyd patted her on the back, Zelos dashing forwards to hug the girl and receiving a hard slap in response. He frowned as she sniggered to herself, tucking the stone away and leading the way back to the entrance.

It was as they reached the rough sands of the desert outside that they were reminded of the magnitude of what they were doing as another earthquake wracked the earth.

"It seems as though the shaking has increased in magnitude." Regal commented once the shaking had stopped.

"The time between the severing of the mana flow and the resulting earthquake has decreased as well." Presea added and all faces suddenly pulled into grim, serious expressions.

Raine wondered, not for the first time, if what they were doing was really they right course. There were always two sides to a story and they only had theirs. And Kratos had not supplied the other half…but then Yuan was working with them, encouraging them in doing this and as a member of Cruxis too, surely he knew the effects. He wouldn't be attempting this if something was going to go wrong would he…?

"I guess the worlds are struggling to split apart." Lloyd commented as Noishe bounded up to them. "Anyway, let's get back to Triet. I'm dying for some food."

--

The group spent a number of days in Sylvarant, just travelling from one place to the next. Raine wondered if perhaps the thought of what they were doing had perhaps slowed them down as they made their way around the world at a more comfortable pace, avoiding settlements as much as possible. They didn't need people questioning the Chosen…

They had passed into Izoold briefly in order to stock up on supplies…and it was there that they found Clara in her still mutated form.

Raine had stepped forwards this time as Colette quietened her down, casting resurrection and to all the groups surprise, relief and happiness, she transformed back into her original form…a petite blonde woman dressed in fine robes, no sign of a scar or green skin on her.

Raine bit her lip as they had left her behind. There had been no-one there to do that for Alicia and Anna or even Marble. She thought back to Dorr briefly…she had not been able to save him and Kilia was long dead too…what was that woman going back to with her husband and child gone? Would she return to the government to aid them, because that was all she knew to do now?

It must have been the same for Kratos…returning to Cruxis because he had nowhere else to go…

She was pleased though when they headed up past Palmacosta to Asgard, calling in briefly on Harley, Aisha and Linar. He still harboured a crush and she almost sniggered to herself when she recalled how jealous Kratos had been of this mousy boy.

They spent a few days in that city, Regal wanting learn about the history and the group was more than happy to take a break before they set off again, this time to the Balacruf Mausoleum.

It took them some time to reach the tomb and they had to rest before they took on the summon spirit – Sylph this time, a combination of three high-pitched female, fairy like creatures with annoying attitudes. Raine wondered if those personalities had seeped through the mana link from Gnome to whom they were connected.

Just as they had with Efreet and every other summon sprit before that, Sheena stepped forwards, requesting a pact, being told they already had one with Mithos.

And then the battle followed, a series of calculated blows traded back and forth, mana and magic and steel flying through the air as light flashed and danced.

Fighters slid through series of shapes and motions, wielding weapons expertly, beating back their opponents only to have ground gained upon them again.

How long these battles went on for, Raine could no longer say. All she knew was when the exhuastion set in, the relief when their opponent finally relented.

"Right now, at this very moment, there are people who are suffering. I vow to save those people." Sheena promised, looking up at Sylph. The leader of the trio nodded.

"Understood. But please…keep to your vow. We do not wish to be betrayed again."

Betrayed again? Did the previous summoner betray them before?

Raine thought back to the first time they had watched Sheena make a pact, and more specifically, Kratos' words.

'_It's possible the previous pact-maker has broken his vow.' _

She wondered if perhaps Kratos had known the state of affairs all along…which would mean he knew who this Mithos person was.

It was as she lost herself in thought again that Gnome appeared in the air above the group, next to Sylph.

"Yep, there's gonna be an earthquake here in a bit. After all, we just basically ripped out the mana link."

That was all she caught of the conversation, drowning out Gnome's annoying voice a second later. The fact he was here was proof enough that the mana link had been severed.

Sylph transformed a portion of her power into an opal stone as gnome disappeared, handing it to Sheena before disappearing off to…wherever it was that the summon spirits went.

They turned to leave, calls of 'congratulations' and 'well done' running around the group, but they had not even reached the door to return to the mausoleum when the ground shook violently and Raine found herself grasping onto her staff for support.

"It's an earthquake!" Lloyd shouted, drawing his swords and using them to prop himself up. No one spoke until the shaking subsided.

"It's just like Gnome said." Sheena breathed, steadying herself.

"It's the proof that the flow of mana has been severed. The earthquake at the Renegade base may have been caused by it as well." Raine reminded, thinking back to Yuan's surprise just before they had stolen the rheairds.

"Splitting apart worlds is no minor task," Regal stated, looking as solid and composed as ever despite the event. "One can expect the land to react to these unforeseen events with at least an earthquake or two."

Raine agreed quietly, lingering for a moment before she straightened up again, still leaning on her staff.

"At any rate, we should get out of here and rest for the remainder of the day. We'll be having to take on the last summon spirit soon."

"Aska and Luna?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes."

"But don't we need to find some tree or something."

"As I recall there were some details as to how to find Aska. We should still rest for a while and then try to find Professor Nova to recap on the information."

"Ok…so, where're we gonna head first?"

"Perhaps we should pay a visit to Luin and see how they're getting on with rebuilding it..if they've managed at all."

--

Luin, as it turned out, was not in much of a better state than when the Sylvarant group had last left it. Charred timbers still lay around the city, littering the ground and slowly beginning to rot as the wet weather poured onto them. The remnants of buildings which had no roof were slowly filling with wild plants and, on occasion, wild animals, a family of rabbits that had taken up residence sprinting away as they approached the run down shop.

As they approached the fountain on the other side of the city, they found water still flowing from it freely into Lake Sinoa, the ground around the stream crumbling as the constant flow wore away at it.

"Whoa."Zelos breathed as they came across the city. "What happened here?"

"Desians." Raine answered simply as they picked their way through the debris. There didn't appear to be anybody left, even to clean up, until they walked into the ruined inn, its door hanging by a hinge.

The man she had healed months ago, Pietro, was inside, roughly pulling the weeds that were growing through cracks in the wall out.

"If you continue to remove those plants in that manner," Presea spoke softly and Pietro turned around at the sound of her voice "you will weaken the wall beyond repair."

The man's eyes widened as he recognised a few members of the group "Sheena, Chosen! You're back! I was hoping you would come…"

"We came to see how Luin was doing but…" Sheena trailed off as she looked at the man. Zelos glared at the man for a second as Sheena focused her attention on him.

"There…aren't that many people around to help with the cleaning up, nevermind to start the reconstruction. And…"

"No money." Raine finished. Pietro nodded.

"Perhaps people would come and help out if there was some money to fund the project. And there are those who used to live here who are trying to help out but…without more, we cannot even begin."

Raine frowned. She would've thought people would've rushed to restore the city, but apparently not. She didn't, for once, understand.

The people who lived in and passed through Luin loved the city…why would they not help restore it? It would be difficult, but surely it was worth it.

Lloyd looked back at Raine and at the rest of the group before stepping forwards. "I don't know what we can do for you about the money but…we can stay here and help for a couple of days, right guys?"

Zelos seemed to be the only one who didn't agree but at a sharp elbow to the ribs from Raine, he quickly did.

"Ah…but I would not want to delay the journey of Regeneration…"

"What's the use of us being on this journey if we can't help the people in front of us? It's no problem."

"Lloyd's right," Raine agreed and she noticed surprise running over some of the group's faces. "This city is a sign of hope to everyone…we need to restore that faith and spirit in people and if we can help by doing this…"

Genis and Sheena agreed suddenly. "Yeah. Come on, we can spare a day or two!"

"..I…I," Pietro stuttered before bowing suddenly. "Thank you so much."

--

They spent a few days in Luin, helping with the beginnings of the cleanup operation, sleeping in tents that Pietro had supplied. Every day they worked there, they found more people coming to the city to help out, word that the Chosen was helping to rebuild it inspiring people to come and lend a hand. By the time the group was preparing to leave in search of Professor Nova, only a small percentage of the debris that had previously littered the city was left. Any dangerous buildings were being demolished, their timbers being used to strengthen and replace those weak in other buildings.

Raine smiled to herself as she watched people begin to pile stones tightly in the hole in the wall surrounding the fountain. It was only temporary, but it would be enough to stop the flow of water until someone could repair the wall professionally.

She wondered how Kratos would feel to see his son helping to rebuild the city which his mother had grown up in.

She turned to Pietro as he said his goodbyes to them, nervously clenching a small bag of gald in her pocket. Any money that the group managed to find usually went into a collective fund for provisions for the journey, but now and then, anytime they had any extra, they split it among themselves into what was essentially pocket money.

Regal, Zelos and Presea had refused, the former two having enough money as it was, the girl having no need for it. Or at least claiming she hadn't any need for it anyway.

Raine herself had been saving hers up in order to buy a book she had seen whilst in Meltokio, a thick tome detailing the intricate history of the ancient nobles of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant. It was written in the angelic language and the shopkeeper quite obviously didn't know what he had…except that it was very valuable, costing a cool 5000 gald. But that hadn't stopped him from keeping it out in the open, and Raine had winced every time a greasy fingered child had pawed at the 'pretty book' bound as it was in black and red leather.

She watched as Lloyd led the group away, heading out of Luin and Raine quickly dashed over to Pietro.

"Professor? Are you not going with them?"

"I am, I just wanted to give you this…to help with the restoration of Luin…it's not much but I hope it will help."

She brought out the bag of money and handed it to Pietro. He stared at it for a moment.

"Are you not supposed to be giving it to me?"

"It's my personal savings…I think the others would be more inclined to give you theirs if they saw me giving you mine. I want them to make that choice on their own if they want to donate any, without any influence from me."

"Ah, I see. Well thank you very much, professor."

"Think nothing of it. It's only 4,900 anyway."

She smiled at him politely as he stared at her before she turned and dashed away to catch up with the others, sighing over the loss of the book.

But... she looked to the back of Zelos' head as he glanced behind and grinned at her…maybe she could manipulate him into buying it for her.

--

Professor Nova and his travelling caravan turned out to be more difficult to find than they had previously thought and it took another week to locate them, nestled at the foot of the mountain range between south Asgard and north Palmacosta.

The information he provided them with, however, was extremely valuable and the second they had it, they were taking to the air again to search for the remains of the Linkite tree. Fortunately, when flying over the Triet desert the day before, they had noticed a bare patch of ground in the mountains, a dried husk of a tree stood in the centre.

They landed within a few hours, hopping off the rheairds and approaching the tree slowly, looking up at it as they approached.

They needed to nourish the earth it stood on, resurrect it and then take the nuts it grew in order to summon Aska.

Lloyd turned to look at the elder women of the group. "Professor, Sheena, are you ready?"

Raine nodded, planting her staff firmly in front of her "Yes, I'm ready."

Sheena drew two cards out, sliding rings onto her fingers that held the stones she had received from the summon spirits. "Yeah, anytime."

Lloyd nodded, turning and placing the nut they had received from Nova's daughter at the base of the tree before turning back to the woman.

"Ok, Professor, Sheena! Go for it!"

"Right. Stand back." Raine commanded and Lloyd dashed to the side as she and Sheena took their places in front of the tree.

"Here I go!" Sheena warned, tossing a brown card into the air, casting it up with the finger encircled by the ruby ring. "I call upon the servant of Mother Earth!"

There was a second's delay and then Gnome was appearing in front of them, shovel in hand.

"What is it?" He asked briskly. Raine lifted an eyebrow at his mood but said nothing.

"Gnome! Please make this ground healthy again!"

The summon spirit looked down at the pact maker before nodding. "Ok."

He looked down at the ground, casting a ball of energy into it and within seconds it spread out, turning the ground healthy before he disappeared again.

Sheena turned to Raine. "Ok, Raine. Your turn." She walked to the side again, allowing Raine to stand in front of the tree.

She took a moment to steady herself before bringing out the unicorn horn, unwrapping it from the cloth it was in and laying it on the ground, tapping it with her staff.

"Unicorn Horn…lend me your power!" She threw the staff forwards in both hands. "Resurrection!"

Within seconds, the spell took effect, fresh green grass springing up from the earth, flowers bursting into bloom as leaves spread along the branches of the tree until the skeleton of it could barely be seen.

The group gasped as the land burst into life around them and Raine had to admit even she was surprised by the effect.

"Whoa! Raine, you're fantastic!" Zelos exclaimed, grinning at her. She glanced at him before turning to Lloyd and Presea.

"Lloyd, Presea, the rest is up to you."

The two nodded, approaching the tree together and looking up into its branches. "Yeah…how about these?"

Presea nodded, seemingly pleased with the choice and Lloyd let her clamber onto his shoulders to grab the seeds from the tree. Once she was safely down again he turned to the rest of the group, informing them that it'd take the rest of the day and night to make.

With that in mind they settled under the tree for the rest of the day, preparing themselves for the events that would happen soon, and wondering just what would happen when they severed that final link.

--

They awoke bright and early the next morning and after breakfast, Presea promptly handed the newly fashioned ocarina to Genis. The boy blushed as he took it from her and Sheena clapped him on the shoulder and prepared to summon Sylph.

"Time for the last step! Genis! Sheena!" Lloyd called.

"You got it!" Sheena responded and Genis grinned at his friend before pulling the ocarina to his lips.

As soon as he played the gentle tune on the ocarina, the same tune he had used when playing Mithos' panpipes, Sheena threw her hand into the air, silently summoning the wind to carry the notes away.

Within moments, the golden shape of Aska was soaring through the air above them, circling down unti he was hovering a few feet off the ground in front of them.

Raine lifted her head to look at the creature. He was literally a two headed phoenix, a rainbow tail fanned out behind him as he beat his giant wings gently to keep him airborne.

"Who calls me?" He asked, his voice a sound reverberating through their minds. Like Volt…but with actual words.

"Aska! We need your power!" Sheena looked up at him with wide eyes as she spoke. "Please form a pact with me!"

"Pact…" Aska mused, cocking his head to the side as he looked at Sheena, considering. "Where is Luna?"

Zelos stepped forwards to Sheena's side. "We haven't made a pact with Luna yet, but we need you."

"I do not want to form a pact…unless Luna is with me."

"Then, let's form a pact with Luna." Sheena suggested. The bird bobbed its head as if in agreement.

"Then I shall go to Luna. Farewell…"

Sheena grinned widely. "Yeah! That's fine. Thanks, Aska."

The bird made the motion with his head again before thrusting his neck up into the air, his wings beating powerfully as he took to the skies again. He disappeared within a matter of seconds.

Lloyd turned to Sheena suddenly, unsure of the events that had just transpired. "Sheena, was that ok?"

"He said he'll make a pact." She shrugged "There's no reason to do it right now, right?"

"Indeed. Luna and Aska are both Summon Spirits of Light. If Luna is performing the role as the mana link, then there is no need to attempt to force a pact with Aska here." Regal stated.

Colette nodded. "The only thing left is to go to Luna and officially make the pact."

Raine bit her lip at the knowledge, thinking over the implications. "We'll be tested by both of them at the same time… I guess it's unavoidable…"

Zelos caught her eye. "Well, whatever will be, will be."

"Ok," Lloyd yelled abruptly, attracting the group's attention "Let's go!"

--

They took to the skies again, climbing into the air on the rheairds and making their way north, swerving around the tower of salvation before descending to Asgard in order to stock up on supplies.

Raine frowned as she picked up a few life bottles. They were about to change the nature of the two worlds and now that they were coming to it…she didn't know if she could honestly go through with it. Kratos' warning niggled at the back of her mind…they didn't know what the consequences were, they were just dashing in blindly and she was beginning to doubt her previous thoughts that anything was better than the system the world was already in.

But…she had promised Lloyd, and they had promised the Renegades and Yuan was happy enough with the idea…so it should be fine.

--

Raine's apprehension only continued to grow as they settled down at the base of the Tower of Mana and she let out a subtle shaky breath to steady herself as they strode forwards.

She recalled the first time they had come in here…how she'd be fascinated and intrigued by the building, by the books lining the walls. She didn't so much as glance at them this time.

Each step she was taking was making her more nervous but as she glanced around, it only appeared to be herself, Regal and surprisingly, Zelos who looked concerned.

She wondered why Zelos did…but perhaps he too realised the gravity of the situation they were in. The world was literally resting on their shoulders.

It was only as they crossed the last bridge that they encountered any problems and Raine felt her heart skip and stop, before pounding in a frantic rhythm.

Standing before them, blocking their way, was Kratos. His face, usual neutral, was direly grave his entire stance radiating nervousness. It was the only time that he had expressed some emotion to the entire group and it gave his words more weight even as he spoke to them, commanding them to stop,

"Kratos!" Lloyd snarled. "Don't get in our way!"

"Hear me out!" He countered, and was there a note of pleading and desperation in his voice as he spoke? "The Derris-Kharlan core-system just finished calculating its answer. If you form the pact with the Summon Spirit, the protection around the Great Seed will be completely lost!"

"And that's exactly what we desire!" A voice snapped from behind the group. A ball of electricity shot towards Kratos a second later and he jumped away from it neatly. Yuan pushed his way forwards to face Kratos.

"Don't you understand?!" Kratos growled at the other man, his eyes dark "What you're hoping for will not happen!"

"Silence! Do you think we'll pass up this opportunity?!" Yuan held out his hand, conjuring another ball of lightning. Kratos took a step back and Raine found herself suddenly undeniable concerned for his safety. Yuan was already speaking though, forcing them to take action.

"Lloyd! Leave him to me! Go, now! Form the pact with the Summon Spirit of Light!"

Lloyd nodded, dashing past the two men, the rest of the group in tow and Raine followed, letting her eyes meet Kratos' worried gaze before he disappeared in the haze of the teleporter.

--

Kratos panted as he blocked Yuan's attack before dropping his sword abruptly.

"Stop, Yuan!"

"Why?" Yuan barked, holding his swallow in front of him defensively.

"Do you not feel it?"

Yuan's eyes widened at Kratos' implication, barely registering his foe as he turned and dashed to the teleporter.

Kratos sprinted up the steps towards the altar, heart beating furiously, aware of Yuan behind him as he skidded to a halt behind the rest of the group.

"…You did it!" Yuan gasped, sounding surprised.

"No!"

They had done it…they had succeeded and now…

He felt it before they did, the mana shifting in the air and the ground beginning to tremble beneath them. The earthquake would kick in any second now and they would be lucky if the tower stayed intact as they ran.

"Everybody out now!" Kratos ordered, and for once, they listened. He watched Lloyd dash past him, waiting until everyone had gone before he sprinted behind them, Yuan at his side.

"What the hell is…?"

A loud rumble and the collapse of a step below him cut Yuan off as he ran and he stumbled. If it had not been for Kratos grabbing his arm roughly and hauling him along, he would've fallen.

They burst suddenly into the bright air of the day, staggering away from the building even as it collapsed behind them, unable to do anything other than stand back and watch. The world was crumbling and burning around them, the giant tree sprouting from its seed, huge roots ripping the earth asunder.

Kratos stared at it, seeing the girl encased inside the tree and he noted Yuan swallowing thickly as he stared at her.

"What's happening?!" Lloyd barked, eyes wide with panic.

"It that…the Giant Kharlan Tree?" Genis asked, fear evident in his voice as he looked to Kratos and Yuan. The two men ignored the questions until…

"Martel!" Yuan gasped, unable to keep the cry for the woman in any longer. Raine's head whipped to him immediately.

"Martel? That woman about to be consumed by the tree is Martel?"

"Why would Martel reappear with that giant, grotesque tree?" Yuan asked

Kratos shook his head. "I was afraid this would happen…"

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked and suddenly, all eyes were on Kratos.

"Having lost the stability afforded by the protection of the Summon Spirits, the Great Seed has gone out of control." He explained.

"No!" Yuan protested "The purpose of the Summon Spirits was to isolate the Great Seed from the outside world and prevent it from growing!"

"That was only half of it," he sighed "The two worlds were forced out of phase by Yggdrasill. They should have drifted apart from each other and have been consumed by the void. But this was prevented from happening because the Great Seed was placed in the centre between the two worlds."

"I don't need a lecture from you to know that!" Yuan snapped. Kratos glared back at him before flinching his head towards the rest of the group. They had done this and they needed to know why.

"The Great Seed is constantly being pulled upon from both worlds as they try to separate from one another. It's a miracle that this delicate balance held up for even this long."

"So the mana links served as a cage to contain the Great Seed in the space between the two worlds?"

"Exactly. And because you provided the unstable Great Seed with mana, germinated in a twisted form and has gone out of control," he let his voice drop to a lower pitch as he looked at Yuan gravely. "It's even engulfed Martel."

Yuan flinched visibly.

"Who cares why this happened! I wanna know what's gonna happen if we can't stop this thing!" Lloyd yelled.

Yuan frowned turning to him. He had led them into this. "If what Kratos says is true, then Sylvarant will be consumed and destroyed by the Great Seed. And if Sylvarant is destroyed, Tethe'alla will be destroyed as well, as it is linked by the Holy Ground of Kharlan and the Otherworldly Gate."

"Then…everyone will die." Presea whispered.

"Everyone," Kratos confirmed "except that twisted tree and the angels that live on Derris-Kharlan."

"Yuan. How do you plan to rectify this situation?" Regal suddenly asked.

"We can cut off the mana flow and stop the seed from receiving any more mana."

""But that won't subdue the Giant Tree. The process has already begun." Kratos pointed out.

"Is the Giant Tree going crazy like that in Tethe'alla, too?" Zelos asked.

"Highly unlikely. Although I imagine they are feeling some effects, such as earthquakes."

"That makes sense," Raine mused and Kratos' attention snapped to her. In the confusion of the moment, he hadn't quite registered her presence, but now she was speaking, he was suddenly very aware of her.

"Because Colette activated the process of world regeneration, the Summon Spirits of Sylvarant are now active. Therefore, the Giant Tree was drawn over here by Sylvarant's Summon Spirits."

"Correct," he affirmed, and her eyes suddenly locked onto him "The Summon Spirits exchange their respective roles of yin and yang each time a Chosen's quest for world regeneration succeeds. Currently, the Summon Spirits of Sylvarant are carrying out the role of yang by providing the mana. But because the Giant Tree has over-absorbed Sylvarant's mana, it has gone out of control."

He turned his attention back to Lloyd, trying to ignore her gaze on him and listen to what the boy was saying.

"So you're suggesting we feed the mana of Tethe'alla's Summon Spirits into the Mana Cannon and fire it at the Giant Tree." He paused, shaking his head "…I suppose there's no better option right now."

"First, we need to shut off the current flow of mana to the tree. It'll be too late if the tree grows any larger." Raine added.

"Then here's the plan," he stated, in control again. This was his forte… "Yuan, I'm going to pretend I don't know who you've been working with or what you've been doing. In exchange, you're going to order the Renegades to stop firing mana at the tree immediately. Meanwhile, Lloyd's group will head for the Mana Cannon."

Yuan agreed quietly, but the plan was thwarted when a Renegade soldier dashed towards him a moment later.

"It's not possible, sir! Forcystus has executed our Iselia ranch infiltration team!"

Lloyd frowned "What does that mean?"

"The Iselia ranch is still operational. We had people working undercover switch over the mana flow."

"In other words, we have to infiltrate the place right now and stop the flow." Zelos stated. Kratos nodded.

"Then I shall go."

"You?" Regal questioned, as if the proposition was laughable. "Are you suggesting we should send you, our enemy, to do this by yourself?"

"I'll send some of my men." Yuan suggested. Kratos narrowed his eyes immediately. His former friend wasn't thinking straight.

"Preparations for the Mana Cannon, the shutdown of the mana reactors throughout the world—there are too many things we need the Renegades to do. You don't have enough troops to do everything."

A moment later, to no-one's surprise, Lloyd volunteered himself, replying logically to Sheena's protests. A few minutes later they were splitting up, Sheena heading off with Yuan as Kratos released his wings, flying behind the group as they travelled on their rheairds, looking down at them as he soared above. He wondered if this motley crew would be able to reverse the damage.  
As he skimmed over the ruins of Palmacosta…apparently not. Not everything anyway.

--

They landed at the Iselia Human Ranch quickly, Kratos flying over the gate to open it for the others, allowing them access.

Raine turned her head away every time she saw those wings flutter until he finally put them away. Once inside they freed the prisoners, half the group taking them outside, the other half heading off to shut down the mana reactor.

Things, however, were never as simple as they should be and they had been forced to fight Forcystus before Kratos could shut the reactor down and then dash outside.

So that was where they stood now. On the outskirts of the Iselia ranch.

"Lloyd!" Colette exclaimed upon seeing her friend "I'm so glad you're safe!"

"Impressive as always, Lloyd," Regal smiled "Looks like you stopped the mana reactor successfully."

"Yeah!" Lloyd grinned "All we need to do now is contact Sheena and…"

"You will do no such thing." A voice commanded and the group spun to face the voice.

Forcystus was staggering out from the complex, clutching his blood soaked side as he lifted the huge arm cannon, firing it at Lloyd before he had a chance to react. The boy fell to the floor, grunting in pain and Raine saw, from the corner of her eye, Kratos start, as if he meant to go and aid the boy.

"No!" Colette cried and Forcystus shot her a dark look before clenching his side more firmly.

"I am one of the Five Grand Cardinals…I won't die so easily! I'm taking all of you inferior beings with me!"

Kratos snorted loudly in contempt at the man's statement, attracting his attention.

"So this is how the great Desian hero, Forcystus, meets his end," he tutted lightly "I'm disappointed."

Forcystus narrowed his eyes at the man, understanding dawning on his face.

"I see…I get it now. I wondered how a mere human could exude the smell of mana. You're Kratos."

Kratos lifted an eyebrow. "What of it?"

"Lord Yggdrasill trusted you," he hissed "Yet in the end, you betray us! This is why humans can never be trusted!"

He suddenly swivelled, bringing his arm up and aiming it at Chocolat, letting a beam of energy loose a second later. It was only by the of Colette being close enough that Chocolat was saved, the other girl diving in front of her to save her. She collapsed moments later and Lloyd wrenched his swords from their scabbards.

"No! You bastard!" He dashed forwards and a second later there was a gush of blood, Lloyd's sword ploughed firmly through the half-elf's stomach.

Forcystus gasped, falling to the floor. "Lord Yggdrasill! Glory to the new Age of Half-elves!!"

And then he collapsed onto his front, his breathing ceasing abruptly. Lloyd wrenched his sword from the body, sprinting over to Colette a she staggered upright.

"Colette, are you ok?!"

It was quite clear, however, that Colette was not ok, for her arm and shoulder were green and crystalised beneath her clothing.

"No…don't look! Don't look at me!" she grabbed her arm in an attempt to hide it and Kratos quickly called Lloyd away.

"Lloyd! Send the message, quickly!"

"But Colette…"

"The Chosen won't die yet, but if you don't hurry, this world will! Now do it."

Lloyd looked ready to protest for a second but he eventually nodded, sending the signal to Sheena to fire the mana cannon.

* * *

Hopefully it didn't seemed too rushed but this entire section of the game has really got nothing to do with Kraine, so..I just needed to get it out the way. Now, I know there wasn't a huge amount of Kraine in this but...lets face it, they've been very busy so it'll be dealt with in the next chapter.

Anyway, please review as always :)


	33. Release

A.N: First off, my profuse apologies for the amount of time it's taken me to get this chapter written. Life is a tad busy at the moment, what with assignments and some personal problems, coupled with trying to maintain a social life.I can't say that things are going to get better on the updating front. I finish my second term of uni in 2 weeks and then I have a month off. Hopefully I'll manage to get a few chapters done then, but I'm hoping to get a job as well so...we'll have to see how it goes.

Secondly, thank you for the reviews I recieved last chapter, and apologies for the terrible quality of it. I would say I'd re-write it at one point but I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen for a good few years, if ever.

Thirdly, I hope this chapter is significantly better than the last and that it gives you want you want.

**Warning: Chapter contains strong language and themes of an adult nature**

Enjoy!

* * *

Release

Raine pursed her lips as she walked behind the group, guiding a few of the former captives ahead of her as they were taken back to the village. Lloyd was, of course, at the lead, carrying Colette and becoming rather overprotective of her. The rest of the group were arranged in various points along the line of captives, guiding them back to the village and Raine was trailing behind the line, some way back from them and with none other than Kratos just a few paces ahead of her.

Since Sheena had fired the mana cannon and the giant tree had been dispersed, he had visibly calmed to the extent that thoughts other than saving the world had started to preoccupy his mind again. Judging from the way he kept glancing back at her, that thought was her.

She had met each neutral gaze with a dark glare, pulling away after a few seconds and glaring ahead. Each time he let his gaze linger on her for a few seconds before looking away again. Before repeating the process over again a few minutes later.

It was beginning to grate on Raine's nerves and the anger she had suppressed for so long in the presence of the group was starting to bubble to an uncontrollable level.

He was infuriating in every sense. Those glances he sent to her, the arrogant swagger to his walk, his commanding attitude. Even the way he had ordered Lloyd around back outside the ranch having just swanned back into their presence. And he _dared _after all he had done to try and tell them what to do. What right did he have?

Anger was starting to constrict about her heart, hot and seething and she glared dead ahead into the back of his red hair as she walked. She half hoped he would turn around just to have an excuse to snap at him, to bark at him and release a fraction of the anger and frustration she felt at that moment.

And the worst thing?

She _still _wanted him to turn around and apologise for what he had done so that she could take him back and be with him again.

How dare he manipulate her so, throwing her mind into chaos, her thoughts battered back and forth across her mind in never ending circles, always driving back to the same points. The hatred and the love, the good and the bad.

He stopped suddenly in front of her and turned, facing her.

"Is there a problem?" He asked coolly, but his voice was not as composed as his face.

Glaring at him she simply held her head high and walked past him. She heard him mutter something under his breath as she did so and she almost, _almost _snapped and whirled to face him. But she didn't…she was above that. Or at least, she was until he grabbed her by the upper arm, making her lurch before she whirled to face him, sending a hard backhand across his cheek.

She was surprised to see the white flesh colour red at the attack.

He dropped her arm a second later, garnet eyes widened slightly in surprise, his mouth set into a firm, grim line.

Raine dropped her raised hand, feeling it sting where she had made contact with his cheek. Her lips twitched, begging her to let loose a harsh comment, but instead she pressed them firmly together and turned on her heel, following the line ahead.

Kratos stared at her as she walked away. Usually, he would leave well enough alone in these situations. Prodding an angry animal was not the best of ideas, and she had just proved herself to be in a rather volatile mood. Nevertheless, he set after her, intending to get her attention and keeping it on him. Didn't she understand that he wanted to talk to her, to make her understand why he did what he did?

She was a rational person…couldn't she understand that if he hadn't have tried to keep them out the way by knocking them out, Yggdrasill would have killed them? Or that if he hadn't betrayed them and gone with them as he wanted to, they would've all been hunted down and killed?

But he supposed that anger and hate were strong emotions and after such a time they would have either subsided or only intensified. Clearly, the latter was true in this case and he sighed inwardly. It was going to make getting her to see reason a hell of a lot harder.

Shaking his head, he set after her and with a few long strides he was at her side.

"Raine."

She blinked sharply at the sound of her name on his lips, but continued to stare dead ahead, ignoring him,

"Raine."

Again, no response, save for her lips drawing into a thin, tight line.

"Raine."

Her shoulders stiffened and Kratos sighed.

"Raine, would you please just…"

She whipped around to face him before he could finish his sentence, her eyes blazing with anger beyond anything he had ever seen in her before.

"No I will not just stand here and give you a chance to voice your pathetic reasons for what you did," she hissed, voice low and dangerous "You _betrayed _us. You betrayed _me_. What makes you think you have the right to say anything to me other than 'I'm sorry'?"

"Every man accused of a crime has the right to a fair trial."

"Only if he's accused of being guilty. You actually are guilty of it. You don't get to plead your case, Kratos."

She turned on her heel again, following the increasingly distant line.

"Raine, stop."

Unsurprisingly, she didn't, striding on down the path until Kratos followed and passed her, standing in front of her and blocking her way, forcing her to face him.

"Raine, I…"

"I don't want to hear it." She hissed, turning to her right and stalking into the undergrowth of the forest. Kratos stopped, watching her before letting his eyes flick back to the disappearing line, making his mind up a second later and plunging after her, following the sounds of the tread of her boots, the rustle of cloth and leaves until they came to a clearing.

She was already across the other side, about to leave, when he called to her again.

"You can't run from this, Raine."

She stopped and stiffened, refusing to turn and look at him. "Why not? You run from everything…"

"What gives you the right to make that judgement of me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Does the truth hurt?"

"There's no truth in it."

"No of course not," she scoffed, turning to face him "Because you don't always run back to Cruxis with your tail between your legs. When you lost Lloyd and Anna, when you betrayed us. Even now. If you asked Lloyd he would probably allow you to rejoin us, but you refuse to, too much of a coward to take a chance on us, on him."

"I took a chance on you…after everything."

"You knew it was going to end!" she snapped, voice starting to rise "It didn't matter what I did because you'd end up fobbing me off anyway!"

"Do you believe that I enjoy what I do?"

"No. But I do believe that you're too much of a coward to break away from it. I daresay Yuan's given you the chance before now, to join him and the Renegades yet you refuse. If you hate what you do, then change it."

"It's not that simple. You of all people should know that."

"Don't try and empathise with me Kratos."

"Then what should I do?"

"Leave. Leave me and the rest of us be. Leave Lloyd alone and stop toying with him. Run back to Cruxis like you always do, be a good boy for Yggdrasill and do whatever he asks. Just don't try and seek forgiveness from me, you won't get it."

She met his gaze steadily, watching the subtle changes in his expression, from feigned neutrality to almost hurt to rising anger as his eyes darkened at her words.

Suddenly he was striding across the clearing to meet her.

"You don't know what you speak of." He hissed and she met his gaze steadily.

"Well you damn well won't tell me, so I have to make my own assumptions. And anything you can tell me now I can only assume are lies."

"From one betrayal?"

She snorted. "Yes, Kratos, from one betrayal. Because that's such a tiny, insignificant thing when somebody rips your heart out and stamps on it."

She stalked past him.

"And you think it had no effect on me too? You think I enjoyed harming you and Lloyd? Do you think I enjoy the notion that the two people in the world I now care most about hate me?"

Raine shook her head, turning to face Kratos.

"Lloyd doesn't hate you. He's angry because he feels he's supposed to be, that he's expected to be. Me…yes, I hate you."

Kratos stopped dead as he stared at her, finally hearing the words come from her lips. It hurt more than he had imagined it would and he suddenly dropped his gaze.

"So why do you continue to stand there, watching me?" he asked, glancing up at her.

She shrugged. "Maybe I enjoy watching you suffer."

He half smiled at the harsh words. "Maybe you do."

She snorted again and rolled her eyes, suddenly at a loss for words. She still wanted to shout and rave at him, she wanted to beat him until he begged for her forgiveness.

But at the same time, she wanted him to stop wearing that damned expression. The kind of expression that a strong, confident man should never wear because you knew when they did just how much they were hurting. And it was all your fault.

She tutted to herself. "Men."

Kratos snorted. "So why are you still here?"

"I…" she stopped. Why was she still here? She should turn now and leave before either of them did something stupid.

"You don't know, do you?"

"Don't presume to tell me about myself Kratos. I doubt you know even who you are nowadays."

"That's true enough. But at least I know what I'm doing."

"Running back to Cruxis?"

"That card's getting old, Raine. Why don't you play another?"

"You never do. Why should I change the game when you keep it the same?"

"Because you can."

She shook her head, turning away. This conversation wasn't going anywhere and the others would be starting to wonder where they were. She began to walk away, leaving Kratos behind when, not for the first time that day he grabbed her by the arm. She whipped around again, her hand striking his face again, nails managing to break the skin as they fell across his cheek.

His hand released immediately and he opened his mouth to make a comment when her hands were suddenly on the back of his head, dragging him down to her level and smashing open mouths together.

Kratos' eyes widened at the sudden movement, shock running through his usually composed mind at the sharp change in her demeanour and the forcefulness behind the action. The kiss, such as it was, seemed to be more a clashing of teeth than of lips, more of a punch than an act of affection.

He pulled back as she did, her hands still firmly buried in his fair and he stared at her, trying to steadily his thoughts as he looked down at her.

"What was…"

"Shut up." She commanded coldly before dragging him down again into another bruising kiss, her hands moving from his hair to his waist, pulling his body against hers so that she could press herself tightly against him.

Raine ran one of her hands back up to Kratos' neck as she felt him begin to pull away again, holding him in place as she struggled with her own thoughts and emotions.

She hated him. She really did. His morals, or lack thereof, made her spit with disgust. His attitude made her want to retch. His wings made her want to hurt him. His betrayal made her want to kill him.

But she still loved him too.

She couldn't deny that there was something about him that drew her to him even now. His intelligence, his strength, his hidden caring side… whatever it was, it had made her press up against him, seize him and kiss him. It was making her enjoy the sensations of mouth on mouth and body against body, her anger and hatred somehow powering the feelings of affection, forcing her into these actions, this situation.

She pushed against him more forcefully when she felt him start to pull away again and her hands tightened on him. He had ripped everything from her when he had betrayed them…the least he could do now was appease one of her more base needs.

The one she didn't know was still active until she had felt the rage consume her.

She growled quietly in warning as he managed to pull his mouth away and before he had time to utter a syllable had reached up and grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to look at her, to listen to her.

Except she couldn't think of anything to say because she didn't know what she wanted to say. All she wanted was the intense roiling anger in her system gone, to pour it out and leave her serene and calm. There was only one way she could do that at the moment and she was determined to have it.

She yanked him down again, this time biting at his lip, her hands tugging at the clothing on his back, clawing at it in an attempt to draw him closer, to spur him into response.

A firm hand straight to the crotch did it, making him gasp and she instantly reached up again, plunging her tongue deep into his mouth, wrapping her arms about his neck, forcing him to stay as he was until she was done…or until he gave in.

Kratos flinched as he felt her tongue suddenly invade his mouth, her arms wrapped firmly around his neck, and he wondered for a brief second if the woman realised entirely what she was doing…but judging from her demeanour, she really did.

A hand to his crotch again and he bucked involuntarily, feeling her slick tongue roll over the inside of his mouth and he remembered the last time they had done this, lying atop Hima's plateau, looking out at the tower of salvation and knowing it was the end. She hadn't been this forward then…. Not to say she had been retiring and shy, but there had never been this force, this disturbing need for him that seemed to both tell him that she wanted him but that she still hated them. There was only one clear thing about her actions though…they were performed in desperation.

It was at that point that he realised that he really should push her away. She was strong at the moment, but not so much as to overpower an angel of Cruxis…which meant that part of him was allowing her to do this, hell, _wanting _her to do this, despite the motivation behind it.

He lifted his hands at the realisation, placing them on her waist and leaning into the rough kiss she was giving him, starting to take control of the situation.

Until she pulled away abruptly before glaring at him for a moment and ploughing back into a teeth-filled kiss. Drawing his tongue into her mouth, she bit down, hard, feeling Kratos' twitch at the action, distracting him momentarily.

Long enough for her hands to travel to the purple cape he wore when they were travelling together, pulling it off. Her hands were at the front of his shirt a moment later, pulling it apart to expose the body beneath, but not giving a damn for its appearance this time.

She didn't want to look, because looking meant stopping, slowing down. All she wanted was to get the feelings that were over powering her out as quickly as possible and that meant forgoing everything that it meant to make love.

This wasn't making love. This was outright fucking. No care or thought went into the motions, just need and want.

Kratos grunted as she wrenched his shirt off before moving closer, his tongue still caught between her teeth and he pulled his head back, freeing his tongue so that he could kiss at her jaw.

She pulled away again, ducking her head so that he couldn't reach her with his mouth, or at least, not until she wanted him to. Not until she pressed up against him, hooking one of her legs around the back of his and pulling it towards her.

The action sent him tumbling to the floor, landing heavily with a grunt and panting whilst she, atop him now, wrenched his pants down past his hips, covering him with her mouth a second later.

The ministration kept him immobile, pinned to the floor for the sheer want of what she was giving him. He glanced down at her, her mouth around him, her hands working at her own black pants, tugging them and the underwear off.

She pulled her mouth away a second later, crawling back up towards him, and with barely a thought, plunged down onto him.

Kratos gasped, throwing his head back, eyes wide as he stared at the blue sky above him, feeling her on top of him, around him, her hands grabbing him by the biceps and pinning his arms to the ground as she moved.

His breath caught in his throat, choking him in his surprise of the entire act.

He had never, _never_, been dominated by a woman before. Not by his first, not by Anna or those in between. He had often let them take control in the heat of the moment for whatever reason…but he had never completely surrendered, able to stop them if he had wanted to. Here, he had no say in the matter.

If it hadn't been for the fact that part of him had wanted this, he would call the act rape.

Pinned beneath her, unable to do anything more than rock his hips in an attempt to bring himself some pleasure out of this act, he stared up at her. Sweat was gathering on her forehead, her face twisted into an expression of both guilt and pleasure as she rode him. Her body was in complete control of his and he could do little but gasp at the feeling of her clenching around him as she arched her back, mouth open in a silent scream as she came.

It was only the expression of pleasure on her face that caused him to follow suit, and as he collapsed back to the floor, her on top of him, he stared up at the sky feeling utterly numb.

What the hell had they just done…and what was it going to do to her?

--

Raine walked back to the village as quickly as she could, leaving Kratos behind in the clearing to fix himself up, determined to distance herself from him. If he got a chance to see her alone again, he would want to talk, something she would rather avoid. She didn't want to talk about that subject in particular…

She had found though, that the act had actually done its job. The stress and tension she had felt building over the past months or so since he had betrayed them had left with her release and she finally felt as if she were stable and in control of herself once again.

Hoping that the others had been too distracted to notice her and Kratos' absence, she headed for Colette's house. By the looks of things, her team had only just arrived themselves or at least, had been so busy with organising the prisoners that they had not had a chance to go in and rest. Lloyd and Colette, however, were nowhere to be seen and she guessed Lloyd had taken her to her family to be tended to.

Straightening her clothing, she pushed her way through the crowds to where Regal and Zelos were pointing to another group of people, guiding a few prisoners there.

"This is a nightmare," Zelos sighed, running a hand through his hair "We didn't think about what we would do with the prisoners once we had freed them."

"Do you think leaving them in their cells would have been a better alternative?" Raine asked, sliding into his view. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kratos enter the village.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…but still…this village can't cope with all these people."

"No. Those in better health will have to head for Triet soon."

"In any case, that is no longer our responsibility," Regal stated "Our concern now is for Colette's health."

"Yes…I take it Lloyd has taken Colette to Phaidra." Raine asked. Zelos nodded.

"Yup, and I think it's about time we get a break too. Let's go."

The red-head was striding towards the house within seconds, motioning from the rest of the group to follow.

Inside, they found Lloyd struggling to lift Colette from the table he had laid her upon to be healed and Kratos, having tagged onto the back of the group, quickly approached the boy. Lloyd glared up at him for a second before stepping back, much to the surprise of the rest of the group.

Carrying her upstairs, the seraph reappeared a moment later, standing near the bottom of them, away from the rest of the group, whilst the situation was explained to the Brunels.

"So the angels of Cruxis were really half-elves…" Phaidra murmured, shaking her head. Lloyd looked over to her, worried.

"Please don't tell anyone about this. We don't want to start a panic."

"Indeed." She agreed "Especially now that the Tower of Salvation is gone, I wouldn't dare tell people the truth."

"The Tower of Salvation…is gone?" Genis asked, shocked, glancing about the rest of the room to find the same expression mirrored on every face.

"After that frightening earthquake, the tower disappeared from the eastern sky…along with that monstrosity."

"How could it disappear?!" Lloyd asked, glancing to Kratos. The gazes of everyone else followed…he was the only one likely to know the answer to that.

"I don't know," he answered earnestly, shaking his head "The Chosen never completed the ritual of regeneration. The Cruxis core system, which controls the appearance of the tower, may have malfunctioned. It is of little consequence."

"No, it's not," Raine countered, finding herself still willing to point out the truth of the matter to him, despite the easing of her hatred towards him. "It's a tremendous shock to the people of Sylvarant. After a giant earthquake sunders the land, the symbol of salvation vanishes. The Chosen will be held responsible."

Kratos shifted slightly at her answer, silently conceding her point. She was right…

"Why?" Zelos asked, pulling Raine's gaze to him, slightly curious as to the tense air between the man and woman…and as to why they hadn't been with the rest of them all the time they were gathered outside. The others may not have noticed, but he had…

"The others have paid for their failure with their lives. But Colette is still alive…" Phaidra explained, shaking her head.

Lloyd clenched his fists angrily before exhaling slowly. "I'm gonna go see what's going on in the village." He announced.

Genis nodded "I'll go too."

"Let's all go together, then," Zelos suggested "It sounds like it's a bit sketchy for you to be walking around by yourself."

Kratos shook his head, his voice sounding more tired than usual "I'll…stay here. Go on."

Zelos caught a look between the mercenary and professor and frowned to himself as the woman pulled away, following the others out of the small house. Kratos remained stiff and silent at the base of the stairs.

The group wandered around the village for a while, looking over the damage and patchy repairs that had occurred in the time they were away. Raine frowned at the damage the Desians had inflicted upon the village, the way it made the villagers shy away from the travellers from Tethe'alla.  
Eventually, they heard a commotion in the distance, rising in the air of the village and Raine recognised it as coming from the direction of the school. Eager to know what was going on and to see if her old workplace was still in its original condition she hurried towards it, Lloyd and Genis at her sides, the others trailing behind.

Raine frowned as she approached, seeing a cluster of people surrounding the village mayor who was shouting heatedly. Her eyes narrowed, she never could stand that man, he was utterly spineless…

"This is an outrage! Those who were banished returning without permission… The Chosen failed atrociously… It's the end of the world!"

"Well he certainly hasn't changed." Genis muttered. Raine agreed absently.

"…And on top of all that," he hissed, turning to Raine and Genis as they approached, glaring at them accusingly "people we thought were elves are actually half-elves?! I bet you were the ones that led the Desians here to attack this village!"

Raine's mouth set into a thin, grim line at the words and it was a struggle for her not to lift her staff to him. Genis balked angrily "Wh…what did you say?"

"Mayor! He's only a child." One of the villagers protested. The mayor snorted.

"It doesn't matter if he's a child. He's a half-elf!"

Lloyd took that moment to step forwards, all but snarling at the mayor as he approached him. Kratos flashed briefly across the boy's face. "I've heard enough from you! Now listen!" he demanded "It's true that the Professor and Genis are half-elves…but so what?! There are good half-elves just as there are bad humans!"

The mayor glared back at Lloyd firmly. "What does a kid know? You were raised by a dwarf. It's no wonder you caused the Chosen to fail her journey! And you even brought a bunch of dirty prisoners back here! It's intolerable how much pain you've caused the good humans of this village."

Raine's eyes narrowed at the man. He was such an aggressive simpleton, no better than Magnius had been. How was that for a human, no better than a half-elf?

Chocolat spat loudly at the mayor and he turned to the girl, shocked, cowering under her glare.

"Wh…what?"

Raine's eyebrows lifted as Chocolat proceeded to lay into the mayor, rallying the crowd against him.

"Genis is the smartest person in this village," a small boy stated, looking up to Genis with wide eyes "He even knows factorizations that you don't know."

A girl nearby nodded. "The Professor is scary when she's angry, but when I know the answer, she's happy, too."

Raine bit her lip as the girl smiled shyly at her. They were coming to their defence…a group of humans was coming to the defence of someone they had been taught to despise on principle.

"Everyone…" Lloyd breathed, grinning round at them.

Biting her lip harder, Raine spun suddenly, dashing away from the scene with her head in her arms. She couldn't take this at the moment…she had been so ready to lash out at one of the human race, and yet here were the others defending her and her brother. She was just as bad as the Desians, assuming all humans were evil and bad…

--

Kratos shook his head as Colette stumbled out of her house, and more than once he had to grab her by the arm to stop her from falling. And that was only to the village gates where they would meet Lloyd and the others. How was the girl hoping to make her way up to Dirk's house?

He frowned to himself. They seemed to think that Dirk would be able to help her…he doubted it. Dirk was living on the surface, thereby losing his skills as a dwarf _and _wasn't a member of Cruxis. He was unlikely to know of the Cruxis crystal. Still he supposed it didn't hurt to try…and it did give him a bit more time to see if he could get Raine to come around and talk to him. Their quick…escapade in the forest had only served to confuse him and he had no idea if it had done her any good.

Waiting patiently by the gate he looked over in the direction of the Sage siblings wreck of a house, seeing Raine standing beside the pond in front of it. Idly, he noticed Zelos say something to the professor and she snapped at him, turning away abruptly.

Lloyd shrugged, walking away from the house and heading towards the entrance of the village where Kratos and Colette stood waiting. Raine had a distinctly sour expression on her face as she approached and Kratos opted to stay silent as the group neared, watching as Lloyd ran to Colette, asking after her wellbeing.

"I have accepted a request from Phaidra and Frank to escort the Chosen to your father's house." Kratos informed the boy once he had finished questioning Colette. Lloyd looked up at the older man, confused.

"To Dad's house? Why?"

"Grandmother said that dwarves know the most about Cruxis Crystals…" Colette answered. Lloyd nodded.

"Yeah, they probably do. Then I'll go with you. In should visit Dad every once in a while."

If it hadn't been for Kratos' complete lack of ability to express emotion and the sudden stab of jealousy in his gut over hearing Lloyd label the other man 'Dad' he would have smiled at the boy's loyalty to his step-father.

"Yes, you do that," he answered instead "After I deliver the Chosen, I will return to Cruxis."

Raine's head snapped up at the mention of the organisation and Kratos made a point to look over the top of her head, refusing to meet her eyes. Refusing to admit that she had been right when she had accused him of always running back to Cruxis. Not that he had any choice in the matter if he wanted them to live…

"But…what about Sheena?" Presea asked quietly.

"I requested a message be sent. She should rejoin you soon."

"Gotcha," Lloyd grinned "Then, let's go back to Dad's place."

With the group in agreement they turned, Lloyd leading the way out of the village and into the nearby forest, his arm around Colette's shoulders, steadying her as she walked. Making Kratos' presence ultimately pointless. He was not needed here…but he supposed that he should complete the task at hand…perhaps it would give him a chance to point them in the right direction now that they had no idea what to do.

Raine had sprinted off ahead, walking alongside Regal, preventing the other man from speaking to her. The president of Lezerano company was keeping a very close eye on her…him and the rest of the group, Kratos noticed as he looked around. Zelos was watching her from the corner of his eye, along with Genis and Presea. Only Lloyd and Colette were oblivious, the two wrapped up in concern for each other.

The mercenary sighed inwardly. This was not going to get him anyway and he set his mouth into a firm line as he continued to walk behind the others in silence as they made their way to the cliff top on which Dirk's house was set.

--

It was late in the day when they reached Dirk's house and made their way inside and by that point, Kratos' nerves were beginning to wear thin. The combination of not being to talk to Raine, his worry about Lloyd, current affairs and Zelos' whining was not a good mixture for his sanity. So it was that when they finally consulted the dwarf about the Cruxis crystal, he was somewhat shorter than he should have been with the group.

"I'm afraid, even if Cruxis Crystals are an evolved form of Exsphere, I still don't know the first thing about them. It'd be a better idea to ask a dwarf over in that Tethe'alla place." Dirk shook his head. Lloyd's shoulders dropped in response.

"Oh…so even you don't know anything about these."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of help… At least stay here for the night to get some rest."

Kratos bit his lip at the suggestion. There was no way he could stay, even if he had wanted to in order to talk to Raine and Lloyd, Cruxis forbade him. And he couldn't cope with staying under the roof of the man who had raised Lloyd…

"I must politely decline." He answered briskly, nodding to the dwarf before turning and pushing his was through the people standing beside the door to the outside.

Noishe greeted him warmly as he stepped out into the fading light and he gave the creature an affectionate pat on the muzzle before stretching, walking away from the house with the intention of returning to Yggdrasill.

A cry stopped him.

"Wait!" Lloyd pleaded. Kratos turned around slowly to face him "Are you really going back to Cruxis?"

The older man swallowed. "…I am an angel of Cruxis." He answered at length, as if it answered everything.

"Then why didn't you follow Yggdrasill's orders to leave the Great Seed alone?"

"I have my reasons…that's all. But as a result, Martel was not lost. That goes along with Yggdrasill's wishes."

"It's true then. You really are our enemy…" Lloyd looked down at the floor as he spoke.

"Lloyd." Kratos called the boy's attention back to him.

"What?"

"If you want to save the Chosen, you should research the records from the Ancient Kharlan War. Remember the words of the unicorn at Lake Umacy."

Lloyd grinned. "Alright… Wait! Why are you with Cruxis when you're a human?!"

Kratos shook his head, turning away from the boy. It was too much for him to know yet and he would find out in time if he was dedicated to saving Colette.

Sighing softly to himself he headed out into the woods, nodding to Sheena as she passed him on the way up to the cottage. Safely hidden in the forest, he unleashed his wings and leapt into the sky, flying away towards the tower of salvation to serve his Lord.

--

Raine sighed to herself as she stood atop Lloyd's balcony, breathing in the crisp night air and staring up at a crescent moon. All the others had long since retired to bed, exhausted by the events of the day but she was still wired…and had more thoughts than others. Thoughts that needed to be sorted out.

Like what she had done with Kratos and how she felt towards him now.

She was sure that if she mentioned this to anybody else, they would call her stupid and label her actions a terrible mistake. But she couldn't bring herself to think of it in such terms.

The event had been brutal and upfront…but it had done the job. It had made her release all the tension she had held over the past few months without hurting a member of the party.

_Technically_, Kratos wasn't one of them. And he had hurt her considerably more so before hand. Still, she wondered if she should've talked to him after she had calmed down instead of ignoring him. She could've gained some information from him if she had been willing to talk.

It was a bit late now though, and though she had no doubts that she would see him again eventually, she guessed it wouldn't be any time soon. Their fates may be inexplicably entwined, but only at these few points along the road.

A door opening to her right startled her back into reality and Raine turned to look as warm yellow light spilled out of Lloyd's bedroom. The teenager himself was padding out onto the terrace, shirtless and half asleep.

"Professor?"

"Lloyd…what are you doing out here? You should be resting."

"So should you."

Raine shrugged. "I'll go to bed in time. I just have a lot to think about right now."

"Like saving the worlds?"

"…Yes… The problem is what to do now. We need to know how the two worlds were forced apart before we can figure out a way to save them"

"How the worlds were forced apart…I wonder about that, too, but I also want to know why Yggdrasill split the world in two."

""Don't you think it was to protect the Great Seed? To protect Martel?"

"But because the worlds were pulled apart, that "phase" thing got shifted, and the Great Seed became unstable, right? That's not really protecting her—that's more like putting her in danger."

Raine smiled to herself. It was strange that someone who was as obviously intelligent as Yggdrasill couldn't see the truth, but Lloyd could. Then again, Yggdrasill was insane.

"…Lloyd, you manage to say something intelligent every now and then. You're absolutely right."

""Every now and then"? Geez, that's harsh." Lloyd chuckled lightly, standing beside his teacher. She looked out across the forest.

"The who, why, and how… That's what we need to know."

"Right now, all we know is who." Lloyd murmured.

"Then we shall have to find out more. But that will have to wait until we get back to Tethe'alla. In the mean time, I suggest we sleep."

Lloyd nodded and yawned, padding back indoors. "Good idea."

Shaking her head, Raine followed the youth in, smiling as he flopped onto his bed. Making her way to her bedroll, she lay down upon it, blowing out the oil lamp and hoping to have a peaceful nights sleep for once.

* * *

Hope that satisified you and I'll try and get the next chapter up ASAP.

Thanks for reading :)


	34. Hints and Tipoffs

A.N: Well here it is, another chapter and we're one step closer to...something interesting happening. In terms of writing, I'm now on my easter holiday and although I have (finally) found a job, I should have some more time to get a decent amount of writing done (even with all the assignments I still have to do...I officially hate ecology). I'm thinking of trying to get some art done as well, maybe relating to this fic if possible. And, providing the personal issues I've been difficulty dealing with lately don't crop up in my thoughts too much I should remain focused and get some stuff up for all you wonderfully dedicated people who continue to read even now.

Anyway, now I'll stop annoying you with the personal info and stuff.

Enjoy!  


* * *

Hints and Tip-off

Raine woke in the late hours of the morning, surrounded by the prone bodies of her travelling companions, still slumbering peacefully. Rolling her eyes she staggered out from beneath her blankets, stretching and straightening before disappearing behind the curtain that had been set up for them to change behind. Pulling on a fresh set of clothing she stepped out and headed downstairs to greet Presea and Regal, the only two members of the group who were awake.

It was past lunch when the rest of the group finally made their way downstairs. After lunch they packed up and headed out into the afternoon sun, thanking Dirk for his hospitality before discussing the rest of their journey.

"What are we going to do now?" Genis asked, unknotting a tangle in his hair with his fingers.

"Let's go see Altessa for Colette." Raine suggested.

Sheena nodded. "Yes. Regardless of whether or not we trust Kratos' words, we'd better return to Tethe'alla for now."

"Can we trust him though?" Zelos questioned, his dislike for Kratos as strong as ever. His eyes flicked to Raine for a second as he spoke.

"We don't have any other leads," Lloyd pointed out "All we can do is keep on going."

Raine smiled grimly. "Lloyd's right. We should head for Tethe'alla."

With no other choice, the group mounted up onto the rheairds, taking to the skies and heading for the portal to Tethe'alla.

--

They headed for Altessa's home as soon as they broke into Tethe'alla, nightfall having already fallen. As they flew over the world, there were no signs of disturbance from the previous day's events, a relief to those from Tethe'alla.

Upon approaching Altessa's house, they found a collection of rocks that had been shaken loose from the tops of the cliffs.

Making their way inside the house, they were instantly confronted with questions from Altessa. Raine waved away the questions before sitting down and calmly launching into an explanation of the events. Once finished, she let out a long sigh over the thought of what they had done.

"I see…So that's what caused the massive earthquake the other day." Altessa commented, stroking his beard.

Lloyd's eyebrows lifted. "Was there damage on this side, too?!"

Raine lifted an eyebrow at the boy incredulously. Had he not seen the rocks outside?

"It seems that the other regions were not greatly affected. But…"

"**There were landslides and falling rocks in this area. And because of that, Mithos was…**" Tabatha explained, looking to the small blonde boy.

Genis spun to him, eyes narrowing. Looking closely, he noticed the scratches on the boy's face, his arm bandaged.

"Mithos, what happened? You're hurt!"

Mithos flushed, looking to his arm. "…ah…this is…it's ok. I'm fine now."

"**Did you see the boulders outside?**" Tabatha asked in her stilted monotone. "**The other day there was a massive earthquake and the boulder fell towards me.**"

Raine smiled. "I see…I'm glad you're safe."

"Yeah," Lloyd agreed "And that's really impressive the way you protected Tabatha like that, Mithos. You saved us before, too. You're a really nice guy, Mithos."

Mithos squirmed uncomfortably. "Ah…not really…"

"Mithos is a…kind…person." Presea murmured, looking at the boy.

Genis grinned widely. "He helped us find Raine when she disappeared, too. You're awesome, Mithos!"

"Thank you." Mithos blushed.

"A nice guy?" Zelos muttered. Raine's eyes slid over to him questioningly but the red head was staring in the other direction.

Altessa shook his head at the distraction "Regarding Colette's illness, it's most likely Chronic Angelus Crystallus Inofficium," he paused for emphasis before continuing to explain "Rejection of the crystal is said to occur in one out of every million people. But I've heard that knowledge of the cure was lost long ago. If you could find records from the Ancient War, then perhaps…"

"So it all comes back to the Ancient War… But where do we go to find records of it?…"

"There's an archive building in Sybak that is dedicated to the history of Mithos." Regal suggested.

"An archive building…I wonder if it will be of any use…" Raine mused.

"If you like, I can show you around there." Mithos offered.

Raine's brow furrowed. Mithos had never been outside Ozette before they had come along and taken him elsewhere. How would he know about the layout of the Sybak library?

The thought stuck with her even as the group rose and headed to bed, deciding to leave visiting the library until the next day.

--

"Hey, take a look at this." Sheena exclaimed, pointing at a paragraph in the book on the floor in the library.

"What's up?" Lloyd asked. Raine leant over Sheena's shoulder, reading from behind as the younger woman read out loud.

"One of Mithos' companions was afflicted with a disease that crystallizes the body."

"That sounds the same as Colette." Genis remarked.

Mithos turned to the girl, an expression of concern on his face. "Colette is…sick?"

"Yeah, a little," she admitted "…What happened to that person?"

"It seemed it was cured." Presea answered.

"I hope the technique hasn't been lost." Raine murmured, looking down at the technique for saving her.

"It says a unicorn saved the maiden," Sheena answered "Is that the Unicorn Horn that we got at Lack Umacy?"

"If so, then we already know that those healing arts can't help Colette."

"I wonder if the unicorn itself…is necessary." Presea theorised.

"Now that you mention it, the unicorn did say he lived for healing Martel's sickness…or something like that…"

"It's just as Kratos said," Lloyd stated "'Remember the unicorn's words'."

"I wonder who Kratos really is?" Colette asked.

Zelos snorted in disgust. "What are you talking about? He's a traitor. What are you gonna do if you trust him and wind up regretting it?"

Raine was sure that comment wasn't aimed entirely at the rest of the group.

"I trust Kratos." Lloyd stated, meeting Zelos' stare evenly.

Raine smiled inwardly at the boy's trust in his father, despite what he had done against them. But he was also helping them now…

"Lloyd…you're strong." Mithos stated, smiling at the boy as the group stood up.

"You think so?"

"You can trust someone who's betrayed you once. That's amazing."

"He…feels special. His eyes don't feel hostile when he looks at me…"

A true smile crept across Raine's face. To think the boy had utterly rejected the comment she had made shortly after he had betrayed them, about speaking to him with a gentleness. She hid the smile behind the motion of wiping at her mouth with her thumb.

"How can we find more information on the Kharlan War?" Presea asked abruptly, steering them back to the task in hand.

"I've heard that the royal family has compiled and stored most of the materials concerning Mithos and the Kharlan War." Mithos answered. Again, Raine wondered how he knew all this.

"During the Kharlan War, Mithos did have various interactions with the rulers." Zelos backed the boy up.

"So it's Meltokio, then. But the Pope will be breathing down our necks. It's dangerous." Raine pointed out. Sheena shrugged.

"We don't have the luxury of complaining about that now."

"Yeah. We'll head for Meltokio, but you should go back, Mithos. Anyway, we'll take Mithos back and…" Lloyd started

"It's fine. I can go back myself." Mithos countered.

"But…"

"It's fine. Don't you need to hurry? And, you're going to be infiltrating the castle, right? So be careful…"

Lloyd sighed to himself. "Ok then, guys, let's go"

They took to the sky again as Mithos returned to Altessa's, soaring through the air until they reached Meltokio, descending a mile or so from the gate before walking to the city on foot.

The gates were still closed to them as they approached and they quickly veered left to head through the sewers once again. It was dark and dreary as ever and Raine wrinkled her nose as she walked through, finding the stench as abhorrent as ever.

Routine as the act of walking through the Meltokio sewers was to them, as strange as that seemed, they dropped their guard as they walked and it was only Presea's sharp sense of hearing that alerted them to the fact that something wasn't as it should be as they approached the flight of stairs that led out.

Standing at the base of the stairs was the oversized form of Vharley, a soldier handing him a heavy looking bag.

"This is the money."

Vharley threw the bag up and down in his hand, testing the weight, grinning widely at it.

"Yup. It's all there."

"How long before the King is dead?"

"Probably another month or so with this poison."

Raine's eyes widened slightly at the conversation she was overhearing. Vharley was poisoning the king? Judging from the look of anger and shock on Zelos' face, she wasn't the only one who was surprised.

"I've been told to make it look like he died from an illness. It's slow, but he'll die for sure. Tell the Pope to wait just a little bit longer."

"I see. I knew there was something wrong when the normally healthy King got sick." Zelos muttered to himself. Raine lifted an eyebrow at the comment. People did get sick of their own accord…but she knew what the Chosen meant.

"What're we gonna do, Lloyd?" Genis whispered to the leader.

"Isn't it obvious? If we save the King…"

"He'll be in our debt," Raine finished and nodded "Let's go."

They dashed out from the shadows the stairs cast, sprinting to the two men who whirled about in surprise.

"Who's there?" The soldier demanded, drawing his weapon.

Zelos stepped out into the light cockily. "The Chosen."

"What?!" Vharley questioned.

Regal stepped forwards a moment later, angrily growling out the name of his lover's executioner.

"Damn. I can't have people knowing about the assassination. Die here!" Vharley ordered looking to the soldier.

"Be quiet." Regal responded calmly.

"I won't forgive you!" Presea hissed, drawing her axe as Regal began to approach the man. Vharley took a step back away from them and Raine only managed to register a blur of moment before the man fell to the floor, mortally injured.

"You've got to be…kidding me…" he panted as blood seeped into a puddle beneath him "I'm going to die here like that damned…Alicia?"

"Don't insult Alicia." Presea spat angrily before the man's eyes rolled back in his head. His forehead hit the floor with an audible thud.

"So he was the link between the Pope and Rodyle." Lloyd mused.

"The Pope is connected to Kuchinawa as well." Sheena reminded.

Raine nodded. "The Exspheres in Tethe'alla passed from Vharley to Rodyle, and the experiments related to the Cruxis Crystals were passed from Rodyle to Vharley and ultimately to the Pope."

"And the Pope probably asked them to assassinate the King in exchange for his cooperation." Zelos finished.

"All right," Lloyd tightened his fist "Let's get the Pope!"

They left the sewers quickly, climbing out into the daylight, dispatching the guard who had watched the whole scene along the way as they headed for the cathedral. They ran through the streets brazenly this time. Time was of the essence and they couldn't worry about the guards if they wanted to save the king.

Reaching the cathedral they burst in, dashing through the doors on the left, Zelos first.

At the sound of the door opening the Pope griped over his shoulder. "You're late."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" Zelos replied in a high, sarcastic voice.

The Pope turned to face him, eyes wide as the rest of the group filed into the room, surrounding him. "What?! What are you people doing here?!"

Zelos glared at him, getting straight to the point. "You're poisoning His Majesty, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The redhead snorted "You're certainly a stubborn little liar."

"Is there an antidote?" Regal asked.

"I don't know anything!"

His eyes widened when Presea approached, putting the tip of her axe blade to his throat. "Don't move." She suggested.

Raine smiled to herself, finding a bottle of something atop the desk and sniffing at it. It didn't smell dissimilar from chloroform.

"Then, let's have you drink this poison. It doesn't take effect immediately, anyway…"

She took a step towards him, lifting the bottle as if to put it to his lips, watching him squirm.

"A…all right! It's in the drawer in the desk!" He gushed suddenly, eyes panicked, sweat running down his forehead.

Colette dashed forwards, opening the drawer he gestured to and pulling out another bottle. "Here it is."

The Pope sighed in relief as she presented Raine with the bottle, but Genis wasn't through with him yet.

"I have something I've been wanting to ask you, too. Why did you try to have Kate executed?! She's your daughter."

Raine turned to look at her younger brother at the question.

"Shut up! What do you know?!"

"Yeah, I don't! I don't know, so that's why I'm asking! Are you stupid or something?!"

"You have a half-elven daughter! Why would you take the initiative in creating rules to oppress half-elves?" Lloyd demanded.

"When I was young, I also thought the oppression of half-elves was wrong."

"Then, why? The church exists to offer salvation to all, does it not?" Colette pressed.

"Are you capable of understanding the terror of growing older, while your child, who supposedly shares your blood, does not?"

Raine rolled her eyes. A pathetic excuse as always.

"That's not Kate's fault. That's the kind of species half-elves are."

"And that is why they are shunned!" the pope replied vehemently "I understand the feelings of those who persecute them, because my daughter is a half-elf. She terrifies me!"

Presea let the axe drop from his neck and he quickly turned, pressing a button on the wall that slid a panel away, revealing a tunnel behind it.

"I just called the guards. If the Chosen dies here, the Church will be mine in both name and reality."

"Will the Church of Martel last without the Chosen?" Regal pointed out. The Pope snorted.

"We have Seles!"

Zelos expression soured further at the mention of the name. "So you did intend to drag my sister into this, you pathetic old geezer!"

"It's your fault!" The pope countered "Why is a worthless and irresponsible man like you the Chosen?! If it weren't for you, no one would have interfered with my half-elf banishment project!"

Genis shook his head. "Why do humans…treat us this way?"

The human scowled at him. "Those who are different must be eliminated."

"Shut up! It doesn't matter if you're a half-elf, a human, or whatever. No matter who or what you are, you're born in this world, you have the right to live!" Lloyd hissed.

The pope shrugged, edging towards the passage way. A moment later, the door burst open behind the group.

"D…don't move!" a knight commanded as he and his colleague burst in. Zelos swivelled to face them, calling to the group over his shoulder.

"Hey! He's gonna get away!"

Presea whipped round, heading for the men. "I will take care of them."

She took the two men out quickly, enabling the group to dash after the pope without fear of being followed. When they reached the end of the passage way and burst into a corridor in the castle, there was no sight of the supposed holy man.

"Damn! He got away…"

But they still weren't out of danger, stuck within the centre of the castle and two knights suddenly confronted them, blocking the way out.

They looked at Zelos. "Chosen! I'm sorry! Please prepare yourself!"

Whether it was instinct or clever thinking on Colette's behalf, her wings suddenly burst from her back at the sight of Zelos' impending doom and she rose swiftly into the air.

The knights watched her, heads following as she rose higher and one of the men let out a scream of terror at the sight of her.

"It's an angel! An angel has come down from heaven! It's the second coming of Spiritua!" The other muttered, his weapon falling limp in his hands.

Zelos caught on quickly. "Look! Your heretical deeds have brought down an emissary of Cruxis!"

"Chosen One! Then this must truly be…"

"Yes. She is the angel of death and destruction. Spiritua has returned!"

"Pl…please forgive us, oh great angel!" The man who had screamed begged. Colette looked confused, looking down at the group for guidance.

"What should I do?" She whispered.

"Don't worry and just follow my lead." The redhead whispered back before announcing "Oh, holy angel, how shall we deal with these creatures?"

Lloyd grinned to himself, suddenly realising what Zelos was doing. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Raine would have laughed.

"Colette. Say you're going to kill them."

"But…"

"It's ok. Just say it like you're in command."

Colette looked puzzled before she looked at the two men. "Uh…um…die!"

"P…please! Forgive us!" One of the knights begged, falling to his knees. Raine lifted an eyebrow at how gullible they were.

Zelos suddenly turned to look up at Colette, clasping his hands in a pleading motion as he looked up at her.

"Holy one! Please spare their lives in my name. I will defeat those who oppose you and once again act as the Chosen to spread the teachings of Martel. Please!"

Lloyd whispered his cue to her and Colette responded shakily.

"Ah, Ok…I shall forgive you."

"Did you hear that?!" Zelos spun to face to two cowering men. "The angel has recognized the Chosen as the true holy will of the church. Leave at once and capture my enemies, the Pope and his private soldiers, the Papal Knights!"

"Y…yes, sir!"

"And revoke the wanted status of the Chosen and his companions at once!"

The knights bowed. "Yes, sir! Everyone, do as the Chosen commands!" he called before dashing off, his colleague in tow.

Raine chuckled lightly to herself as Colette lowered herself to the ground. With the threat of the knights, and hopefully everything else, removed, they quickly turned and followed Zelos to the King's chambers.

They found princess Hilda inside, standing attentively at her father's side, a few guards hidden in the alcoves of the room. The king himself lay prone on the bed, pale and breathing heavily.

"W…wait!" Hilda commanded as they approached the bed.

"Princess. Please let us see His Majesty." Zelos asked gently.

"I don't know anything about the return of Spiritua, but my father is sick. My father only wanted to protect Tethe'alla…"

"We know," Raine soothed the girl "Are you aware that His Majesty has been poisoned by the Pope?"

The princess shook her head. "That can't be…"

"It's true. The Pope has run away upon being investigated for it." Lloyd supported Raine.

"We must hurry and neutralize the poison. Please move." She requested, pulling the antidote from her coat pocket. Hilda glanced at it dubiously, stepping aside and ordering the soldiers to stand back.

Leaning over the man she tipped a small amount of the antidote into the cap, trickling it onto the man's lips so that he licked it away, preparing him from the fact that he was about to receive a liquid before pouring the required amount into his mouth. He swallowed the medicine and, within a few minutes, was blearily sitting up, the colour already returning to his face. He remained looking haggard however.

"Father!" Hilda exclaimed, smiling.

"It looks like he's regained consciousness," Zelos mumbled "Your Majesty, do you recognize me?"

The King's eyes narrowed as they focused on him. "The traitor…Zelos. Have you come to kill me?"

"No! Zelos saved you!" Lloyd answered.

"Traitor…yes, that does suit me," Zelos murmured and Raine snapped her head to him, wondering if she had heard right. "Anyway, we were set up by the Pope. We have no intention of harming Tethe'alla."

"Even if the ruling family were to doubt him, the church, soldiers, and citizens will certainly side with Zelos the Chosen. We have the return of Spiritua with us, after all." Raine informed.

The King paused. "What do you want?" he answered at length. For a moment, his voice reminded Raine of what she thought an old, frail Kratos would sound like.

"We want to see documents concerning the hero Mithos and the Kharlan War that are maintained by the royal family." Lloyd answered.

"They are stored in the archive on the second floor. Do what you will with them. Do not show yourselves in front of me again. I am…tired. I want nothing more to do with the church's power struggles."

"Then, Your Majesty, we shall allow ourselves access." Zelos answered, turning and motioning for the other to follow. Bowing once, he closed the doors behind them.

They made their way down to the library quickly, hoping to find out how to cure Colette's illness before the day was out. With most of her upper arm crystallised, it didn't give them a lot of time..

The archive was packed with old and elaborate looking books, leather bound with spidery gold writing. The room was concave, sections set into recesses framed with fluted, connecting marble pillars. They ignored all decoration however and headed straight to the books, splitting up to browse through different sections. Raine shook her head. There were so many books here it would be damn near impossible to find the one they wanted. But she supposed that they had no other option.

--

It was several hours later that Raine gave a tired sigh, shook her head again and, rubbing her eyes, met with the group as they converged in the centre of the room next to a pile of precariously stacked books. If the room had any windows, they would have seen evening drawing in, the sky growing dark.

"It's no use." Zelos sighed, folding his arms. Genis grimaced irritably.

"I can't believe we've searched through all this and still haven't found it…"

"I'm not going to give up," Lloyd snapped "There has to be a way."

Colette shook her head sadly in response to her friend's outburst, laying a hand on his arm gently.

"Lloyd. Thank you. But…it's ok, you can stop."

Lloyd shook his head violently "No, I…"

Colette staggered back in response, backing into the pile of books, sending herself and them tumbling to the floor. It was, however, fortunate that she did, for an ancient book, its pages worn and yellow, lay open in front of them, its pages scrawled with the flowing figures of an odd language. Raine plucked it from the floor immediately, eyes scanning its leaves.

"These are…ancient elven letters?" realisation dawned on her suddenly as the words' meanings filtered through. "Wait! This may be it!"

"I certainly didn't expect to find the book that way." Regal mumbled. Lloyd hurried over to the professor, looking over her shoulder.

"Professor, what does it say?"

"In order to prevent the erosion of the Cruxis Crystal, a Mana Fragment and zircon are fused using Boltzman's technique to create a Rune Crest. Fibres from the Mana Leaf Herb, when placed in the crest, protect against the crystallization caused by the illness…"

"So in other words, we need a Mana Fragment, Zircon, and a Unicorn Horn, right?" Genis asked.

"And a Mana Leaf Herb," she corrected her brother "Then, we make something called a Rune Crest, and attaching that to the Key Crest will suppress the crystal's activity."

"Who's going to make that?" Lloyd asked

"Well, a dwarf, I guess." Zelos replied as if Lloyd were a slow child. Which wasn't exactly untrue. Nevertheless, he shook off the insult, too excited by the thought of curing Colette to be too bothered.

"Ok, now we have some hope!"

"But there's not much time," Raine reminded the boy, keeping him in check "It says that epidermal crystallization begins within a few months, and the final stages of the disease cause the body to completely crystallize. The internal organs start to crystallize once the epidermis has crystallized, and then finally…"

"The subject dies." Colette finished bluntly. Raine pursed her lips before nodding slowly.

"Then let's hurry. Cute girls deserve to live long." Zelos stated.

"Where are the materials?" Presea asked, moving the situation along.

"My company once handled zircon," Regal answered "If we go to the main Lezareno building, we should be able to find information on it and where it is stored."

"And Mana Leaf Herb…is probably in Heimdall."

"But the people of Heimdall forbid anyone that is not an elf to enter the village." Zelos turned to Raine, pointing out the problem.

"Why?" Lloyd asked, curious.

"It seems there was some trouble between them and humans a long time ago. These days, no one enters without a permit from the King of Tethe'alla. But we could try asking Princess Hilda."

"Then, assuming we can get the Mana Leaf Herb, what about the mana Fragment? What is it, anyway?" Sheena asked.

"In the scriptures of the Church of Martel, there is a passage that says, 'The colossal mana of the great motherland, Derris-Kharlan, rained down upon the earth in fragments, giving birth to all living things.'"

"So it's in Derris-Kharlan?.. That's the enemy's main base. Let's do that later. First, we'll go to either Heimdall or the Lezareno Company in Altamira." Lloyd suggested. Raine agreed with the plan completely. Copying down the page she had just read for future reference, she ordered the rest of the group from the room before instructing them down to rest in an inn for the night, this time with no threats of capture over their heads.

--

The next morning they headed back up to the castle for an audience with Princess Hilda, hoping to get a pass into Heimdall. It was granted quickly and they left the castle once more, hoping they wouldn't have to return to the building for some time.

It was as they stood to the side of the doors, looking at the letter the king had granted them that the great wooden doors swung open and a tall man strode out. Lloyd frowned, recognising the familiar head of dark auburn hair as it bobbed out of sight.

"What the…why is he coming out of the castle?"

"Who knows? Who cares? It's not like this is the first time he's done something weird." Zelos shrugged. Raine on the other hand, did care. She guessed Lloyd did too.

"We can't just ignore it. If the King turns out to be working with Cruxis, that'd be a disaster. Let's follow him!"

Zelos sighed heavily before giving in. "Ok, fine. I guess you've never heard that wise men avoid danger."

They dashed through the streets after the figure, skidding to a halt when they found him standing at the gate.

"Kratos!"

Kratos turned slowly, garnet eyes fixing on Lloyd. They flicked to Raine for a split second before refocusing on his son.

"Do you intend to fight here?"

"What are you going to use the sacred wood for?" Lloyd barked, noting a bundle under his arm.

"You do not need to know."

"Sacred wood burns several times hotter than normal firewood." Presea pointed out. Genis' eyes narrowed in thought.

"Are you…are you going to melt Aionis?"

"Aionis is a fictional ore." Raine countered, contradicting her brother and, to her mind, humiliating the man, she would've smirked triumphantly if it were not for Kratos' blasé response.

"Yes. So they say."

"Stop being so mysterious about everything!" Lloyd snapped. Kratos tutted quietly to himself before turning on his heel, intending to leave.

"Wait!"

The boy ran in front of his father. Raine tensed at Lloyd's defiant stance, wondering how the older man would take it.

"Move…" He ordered quietly. It seemed somewhat more of a request than an order, despite the grim set of Kratos' mouth.

"I said, wait!"

"The more time passes, the less likely you will be able to cure the Chosen's illness."

"What?!"

The boy stood, suddenly stunned by the concern that had slipped into Kratos' voice. The mercenary took the chance to suddenly turn and dash away from his son, sprinting away across the fields. Noishe yipped loudly as the figure sprinted past him. Raine frowned. Kratos had seemed totally focus on the task at hand. Perhaps her treatment of him last time they had met had helped him as well as her. Or maybe there were problems within Cruxis. Either way, she couldn't help but letting a sly smile pass over her lips as she watched the man sprint away, muscles flexing and a pair of rather attractively firm buttocks swaying as he went.

Zelos lay a hand on his 'bud's' shoulder. "I hate to say it, but he's right. Let's hurry up and save Colette. Ok?"

--

They settled onto the rheairds soon after, heading up into cloudy grey skies and spinning east, skimming over mountains and soaring over plains, the shadow of their rheairds similar to those of giant birds swimming in the choppy ocean.

As they angled more and more towards Altamira, the clouds slowly receded, gliding off somewhere else, likely Flanoir to dump a fresh flurry of snow. Duck egg blue sky paved the rest of the way until they saw the glint of the glass tower of the hotel, a white patch glaring on the side where the sun bore down onto it.

Presently, they pulled up outside the city, packing away the rheairds and heading into the city and quickly making their way to the Lezareno company headquarters.

Under Regal's instructions, they took the lift to the President's office, pacing into the opulent space to speak with George. After informing Regal's assistant of the situation with Vharley the President instructed the man to have the doors to the archive unlocked. Once the request was completed they took the lift back down, making their way through the records until they found one detailing the last shipment of zircon. Lloyd scanned the sheet.

"The last zircon shipment was…" he drawled, eyes still flicking around for the place name. His vision was suddenly obscured by a blast of smoke, however and by the time the group had recovered and the dust had settled, the paper was long since out of the boy's hand. Instead it was grasped in the gloved hand of Kuchinawa.

"Kuchinawa!" Sheena exclaimed, staring at the man wide-eyed.

"The Pope is gone and Vharley is dead," Lloyd spat, glaring at the man "Why do you still get in our way?!"

"This is about me, isn't it?"

"Of course," Kuchinawa snapped, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world "Because of you, my parents and countless members of our village died. The Chief has not awoken from his coma for ten years!"

"I…I'm…sorry."

"You think apologizing will cut it?! I will never forgive you!"

"Kuchinawa! If I'm the one you hate…"

"Sheena!" Lloyd cut in loudly "If you're going to suggest sacrificing yourself again, I'll never forgive you!"

"No," she shook her head and her eyes suddenly locked onto him with determination "If I'm the one you hate, let's have a one-on-one duel, as dictated by village custom."

Raine narrowed her eyes, concerned over Sheena's proposal to the man. He clearly found it laughable and she had to wonder how serious the young girl was. It was proven to her when the ninja handed over Corrine's bell, the only reminder that she had of her friend, as a token of her dedication. It was the equivalent of Lloyd handing over his exsphere. Sheena suddenly seemed very similar to the boy.

Kuchinawa looked down at the small object. "Very well. If you do not come, I will grind this bell to dust."

He handed over the documents a second later before disappearing in a puff of smoke as was his custom.

Once the metaphorical dust had settled, Regal looked over the document.

"The last shipment was sent to the Imperial Research Academy in Sybak."

"Ok," Lloyd nodded, and with a reassuring smile to Sheena announced "Alright, let's go!"

It was as Raine followed behind the rest of the group that she noticed Zelos was lagging behind, staring blankly and muttering to himself.

"Zelos?"

He snapped back to reality, looking nervous. "Yeah?"

"Are you joining us?"

"Of course, just daydreaming about all those gorgeous hunnies waiting for me in Sybak." He grinned lecherously before sauntering past and following the others, leaving Raine staring after him wondering just what the man was up to.

* * *

And there you have it, hope it was good. Please review :)


	35. Revelations

A.N: Hello all! Two updates in a row. Be impressed.

Not really much to say about this.

Enjoy!

* * *

Revelations

The sun was setting by the time the group had retrieved the zircon from the Sybak academy and they spent the remainder of the night in the student hotel in the city.

Rising early the next morning they bought provisions for the journey to Heimdall before mounting up and taking to the skies once more, cool fresh air whipping about them as they flew. There proved to be a distraction however, when they saw an island floating in the sky, seemingly of its own accord. Worried in case it meant that someone had re-established Rodyle's dragons' nest they arced towards it.

Once they had drawn nearer they noticed that it was not, in fact, a single island but a cluster of them, connected by long narrow stone walkways. Curious, they descended onto one of the isles, encircled by giant stone pillars before heading to the centre isle.

Walking into the settlement they were met with looks of fear and disbelief and Raine had to wonder what these people had been through…and why they were here. It was only when she stopped to take into account the mana the people emitted…they were all half-elves. Which explained why they were looking at the 'round-ears' with fear.

It was as they were walking past one of the boxy, non-descript grey houses that a shout went up from one of the residents.

"Virginia!"

Raine stopped abruptly, causing Colette to stumble into her. She had not heard that name in years, had not wanted to hear it again, and it grated on her ears. She turned to face the man who had called it, looking up at him, swallowing thickly. He knew her…

"You know my mother?"

Genis, standing beside Raine, jolted at the words that tumbled from his sister's lips, turning to look up at her with wide eyes. The man who had called to her straightened, as if realising the gravity of his mistake.

"I see. So you are Virginia's…"

"If you know my mother, please tell me…is she…she's in this city, isn't she?" She cut in.

"You should not meet her," the man answered at length, shaking his head sadly "Even if you did…it would do you no good."

Raine narrowed her eyes and the man quickly retreated indoors. She turned to Lloyd a second later, asking permission to find her mother. Colette's life was at stake and if no-one else thought it acceptable to spend time trying to find her, then she would have to return some other time. Fortunately, or so it seemed to her at the moment, Lloyd agreed, even if shocked by the sudden intensity of Raine's wish to find the woman.

They spent some time wandering around the islands, collecting titbits of information as they went. It seemed these islands, known as Exire, were the only place in the world that half-elves could live in peace. Some had been born here, others driven here when they were young, some forced here recently and some were soon to die here, high above the human dominated world. It saddened the group to think that such a place had to exist but then, they supposed it must be a great relief to the half-elves here who had been persecuted that they had a sanctuary here.

After an hour or so, however, they hadn't found Virginia and Raine was just about to give up her sudden kindled thoughts when she saw a small house in the distance. With a burst of instinct she headed for the house, but a woman called to her as she approached.

"You'd best avoid that place." She warned.

Lloyd, following close behind, turned to her "Why?"

"There's an elf woman who lives there, and she's a bit of strange one."

Raine's eyes widened…elf woman…Virginia. "It can't be! Mother is in this house?" she muttered before turning and pushing into the house without further thought, ignoring the woman's warning. A few of the group followed her in, Genis and Lloyd among them.

Raine pushed into the house. It was surprisingly spacious and well lit inside, a crib in the corner and a bed in another. A woman with long silver-white hair turned from the window at the sound of the door opening.

"Who's there?" she asked at the intrusion, her voice soft but wary. A dirty, ragged doll lay in her arms.

Raine swallowed thickly, staring at her mother who she had not seen in years, wondering what she was doing here, wishing for some sort of support.

"Excuse us. I have something I would like to ask you…" she spoke, voice wavering.

"Oh, half-elves," she murmured upon seeing Raine and Genis step forwards into the light "My child is a half-elf, too." She held out the tattered doll towards them and it was all Raine could do to stop her face contorting with disgust at the thing.

"It's a doll." Lloyd murmured, confusion in his voice.

"She has such an intelligent looking face, doesn't she? Her name is Raine. She's my pride and joy." Virginia continued.

Genis' eyebrows lifted. "Huh? She has the same name as…It can't be…"

Raine's fist clenched at her side.

"Right now, I have another child on the way," she patted her flat stomach for emphasis, cradling the doll in one arm "I've already decided on a name. If it's a girl, it's Jean. If it's a boy, it's Genis. What do you think? Aren't they lovely names?"

"What?…" Genis breathed "Then…"

"Are you Virginia?" Lloyd finally asked, stepping forwards. The woman seemed startled, her green dress swaying about her as she jerked with surprise.

"Yes, that's right, how did you know?"

Genis took in a shaky breath at the woman's admission, staring at the woman who had given birth to him but had never known as a mother. Raine, on the other hand, had and knew all the pain and hurt that a parent could inflict on a child through a single action…

"Stop this!" She demanded suddenly, stepping forwards, her eyes alight with anger and tears. "Stop this! What were you thinking?! Do you know what happened to the two of us since you abandoned us?!"

Virginia's eyebrows lifted, no hint of recognition crossing her face as she looked at her daughter's distraught expression.

"Wh…what? Why are you raising your voice like that?…You'll wake Raine."

"I'm Raine! I'm the daughter you shunned and abandoned! Not that doll!" she spat the last word out venomously "Genis is here too!"

"What are you talking about? There must be something wrong with you."

"You're the one that's wrong! How could you…how could you…?"

Virginia scowled at her daughter that she couldn't even acknowledge as her own child. "Oh, now you've gone and made Raine cry. Please, leave!" She cradled the doll to her, soothing it in shaking arms. "There, there…it's ok, Raine… The scary people have gone now. Don't cry…"

There was no answer Raine could give to that, no response to seeing her mother pouring more love onto a doll than her own children who stood, living and breathing, in front of her. Eventually she turned away, dashing from the house, unable to face the sight any longer, unable to understand how the woman had done such a thing.

She stopped running when she reached the edge of the island they were on, collapsing against a tree and sobbing brokenly, unheeding of the concerned looks the rest of the group were giving her. She had seen the way Kratos looked at Lloyd, the hidden concern and yes, love, in the depths of his eyes as he looked at his son. There hadn't been even a flicker of recognition in Virginia's blue gaze as she had looked her daughter in the face and denied her existence and she suddenly longed for the feeling of warm arms around her, lending her strength when her own had abruptly abandoned her. Just like her mother had, just like Kratos had…and she wanted both of their attention and acceptance and even their love. Though she had not allowed herself to admit it, she still wanted Kratos to look at her in a way that made her feel like the centre of the world. Plenty of people gave her that look, only he made her _feel _it and she needed, in this moment, to feel that, to know that she was important, that she mattered to someone.

A hand fell onto her shoulder a moment later, interrupting her scattered thoughts, the timid voice of her brother questioning quietly.

"Raine?"

"How could she? First she abandons her children, and then she abandons the memory of doing so! She…doesn't even remember us."

"Raine…don't cry." Genis soothed, doing the best he could for his sister.

Quiet footsteps approached slowly, deafening in the awkward silence caused by Raine's sorrow. She wiped her eyes roughly as the man began to speak.

"So you met Virginia."

"Why is she here?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"Several years ago, I found a husband and wife collapsed of exhaustion in the Ymir Forest. It was Virginia and her husband, Kloitz."

Raine recognised the name instantly. "Father…"

"It seems Kloitz was dispatched from Meltokio to investigate the elf village. He fell in love with Virginia and remained in Heimdall, but…"

"But a half-elf that lived in the village tried to sell out our father to the soldiers. It became a huge incident. Fighting broke out between the elves and half-elves…" Raine cut in, standing up, her tears suddenly gone with the angry memories.

The man nodded. "The cause of the incident, Virginia's family was banished from the village. They travelled from land to land, but the world was not kind to half-elves…"

"And we were abandoned." Genis finished sadly.

"So it would seem. Kloitz must have been ill, for he died soon after they arrived in this village. Virginia began to lose her mind from that day."

Raine snorted at the comment, apparently uncaring, lost in her anger at the woman's treatment of her children.

"She's unbelievably selfish! She tosses us aside on a whim and then forgets us and just goes off into her own little world of dreams!"

The man seemed a little stunned at Raine's outburst, but carried on anyway. "Even so, Virginia was worried about you two. 'In the legendary land of Sylvarant, surely half-elves will be free from discrimination… I want them to be happy…' That's what she said."

"I've heard enough!" Raine snapped. Genis looked up at her with hurt eyes, worried for his sister, angry at her for not having more compassion for their mother…surely she had her reasons…

"I've been keeping Virginia's diary safe here. You can come get it at any time, if you ever decide you want it." The man finished, turning away a moment later, leaving the group to themselves, lost in thoughts and emotions.

--

Most of the day had gone when Raine dried her eyes for the final time and stood, ready to rejoin her friends and brother after having spent a good amount of time reflecting on the information she had been provided with. They needed to get moving, her emotions be damned, but still, she had one more thing she wanted to.

Rejoining the group, and batting away their concerns over her wellbeing, she requested that they return to the man, who had turned out to be the village elder. That diary he held was the only part of her mother she would be able to understand, and for Genis' sake too, she needed to have it in her possession.

Returning to the house and obtaining the diary from the elder, Raine took Genis to one side, reading it with him, the woman's last entry striking her as she read it:

'_The Otherworldly gate has opened. Raine, Genis, please forgive your powerless mother. Surely even the Imperial Research Academy will not follow you to Sylvarant. This must be a better choice than to spend your life in that damp, filthy dungeon like a slave. Please, make your way to freedom…'_

"What did she mean?" Genis asked.

The elder looked over, smiling softly at the siblings. "Raine must have been incredibly talented. It seems the Imperial Research Academy was dying to get its hands on you."

"That's why we couldn't settle down anywhere and had to keep travelling…" Raine murmured, memories swimming through her mind.

"Eventually you were chased all the way to the Otherworldly Gate. It seems she managed to send you through it."

"Then…she didn't abandon us because we were in the way or that she hated us or anything!"

"Yes…that's right."

"Raine, this is great news!"

"Take it with you," the elder murmured, gesturing to the diary "It is your mother's, after all."

"Thanks you." Raine nodded, smiling and rising to her feet, leaving the house with her brother at her side, tucking the book into her backpack as she approached her friends, smiling reassuringly, ready to continue the rest of the journey.

--

The next day, after camping out for the night, they flew southwest, eyes scanning the lands they travelled over until they came across a thick ring of green forest, a pool of silver water within it. And there, dotted in the centre, a patchwork of thatch-roofed buildings.

They set down outside the forest, the network of trees over the village making it impossible to land directly inside. Plus, the elves would likely not be pleased with that method of their arrival and even less likely to give them the plant they so required.

The forest was a bizarre combination of nature and the industry of elvenkind, the trees bent into shapes that hindered progress, the wooden, slatted walkways aiding them. Glowflies and other creatures sparkled and zipped through warm air, clear but heavy, long trails of leaves hanging from trees and falling into the silvered water below the planks of wood.

"There's no question. Heimdall lies ahead. I still remember." Raine nodded to Lloyd at his inquiring glance.

"Up ahead…is the place where I was born…" Genis whispered.

Raine let a comforting hand fall onto his shoulder, resuming her role of older, responsible sister after her stint of worrying him yesterday.

Comforting the boy she pushed into the forest with Lloyd, helping to lead the way as they walked into the forest, hoping to reach Heimdall as quickly as possible.

--

The Ymir forest was not as easy to get through as Raine had first thought. Or at least, it wasn't when, after encountering a young elven boy, they had had to find the Ymir fruit. Which was almost more trouble than it was worth.

Despite all the hours it had taken, they were now on the way to the village, the posts that marked the gate coming into view and focus with every step they took. It was just as they were reaching the gates when a familiar figure strolled out of the village.

Raine almost rolled her eyes at the sight of him. He would just have to be here, wouldn't he?

"So you've made it here." Kratos commented dryly, looking over the slightly bedraggled looking group.

"What?! Then you do know how to cure Colette's illness!" Lloyd demanded.

"And if I did?"

"Why are you helping us?! Why are you giving us clues about how to save her? And how did you know that Colette's Angel Toxicosis was the same illness that one of Mithos the Hero's companions had?!"

"And what do you hope to accomplish by asking that?"

Harsh and blunt as the question was, Raine felt Kratos had a point.

Lloyd spluttered in response and Kratos shook his head. "There's no time. Hurry." He warned before striding past the group and into the depths of the forest they had just struggled to make their way through. His eyes snapped to Raine for a second as she held it easily, just long enough to make it seem like a passing glance, before she turned her gaze forward again.

With Kratos behind them, the group headed forwards to the gate again, meeting two armoured, elven guards at the gates. Their spears snapped down, crossing at the approach.

"This is the village of the elves. No half-elf may pass." One of them stated as unseen eyes moved over Raine and Genis.

"What?" Colette asked, surprised.

"This is a defensive measure against those who brought catastrophe to our village. If you cannot accept that, then you humans may not enter either."

"Lloyd, we'll wait here," Raine offered, it would do no good to try and force their way into the village and upset the villagers. "We'll leave the rest in your hands."

Lloyd swallowed, clearly unhappy with the decision, but having no choice. "All right."

Raine nodded, placing her hand on Genis shoulder and guiding him away from the gate and to a nearby cluster of trees where they could sit and speak privately. It was a shady spot and Raine was glad for the chance to sit down and think in the peaceful eaves of the forest.

The siblings stayed quiet until, after a while, Genis breathed out slowly. Raine looked over to him, knowing the noise was made to attract her attention.

"What is it, Genis?"

"Raine…do you…do you think Lloyd's doing the right thing?"

"In saving Colette? I can't see that we have any other choice."

"No, I mean…about…trusting Kratos?"

"Why do you ask me?"

"Because…you know people. You know what Lloyd's like, he'll trust anything that shows even the slightest hint of helping us."

"And?"

"And…you seemed to know Kratos. I mean…you never offered an opinion but you and Kratos spent the most time together as the adults when we were travelling. You two stayed awake when we slept. I figured that you must have talked to him more than us and maybe knew him a little better…"

"He spoke to Lloyd the most."

"Lloyd's an idiot. He doesn't know how to judge people."

"True. All I can say Genis is that Kratos is the sort of person whom, if you think you know him, you probably don't. Or it may just be that he doesn't know his own mind, despite what he portrays. He's likely to change his mind, but show no signs of it."

"So?"

"I don't know whether to trust him or not. But we don't have a choice right now. Kratos has more to him then we'll ever know."

"Hmm…"

Raine would have questioned her brother on what exactly that 'hmm' meant, but she was interrupted from doing so by the sound of their friends' voices approaching.

Genis made his escape from his sister, running to meet his friend.

"Welcome back. Are you leaving the village?"

"Yeah."

Raine rolled her eyes, standing and brushing down the back of her black trousers before strolling out of the coppice to meet them.

"Then let's go." Genis urged glancing to Raine. Within moments the group was heading back into the forest again, informing Raine and Genis of events on the way.

--

The sun had barely risen into the sky when the group, having camped out overnight, stumbled into the labyrinth of Latheon Gorge.

The whole canyon was painted in striking colours as they entered, bright red and orange streaked across sheer cliff walls as deep black and blue shadows lurked around the corners of jutting stones, waiting to be evaporated by the sun's rays.

They passed the guard quickly, flashing the elder's staff to him to allow them passage into the chasm before steadily making their way in, blinking against the sunlight as it hit them. It was as they climbed up onto a mound to take a better look over the immediate area that they came across one of the most bizarre plants they had ever seen. Its appearance, a large red tulip-esque head, was not particularly unusual. The fact that it was about the same height as Regal and blowing out steady, rhythmic gusts of air was.

"What is that?" Lloyd asked, cautiously peering at the plant as if it were about to turn and attack him.

"I've read about this in a book before," Raine answered "There's a plant which, when you provide it with food, begins blowing air."

"That's our Raine! I'm falling in love with you all over again." Zelos grinned at the half-elf. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him.

"So their food is present in this valley." Regal surmised.

"Yes, that would make sense."

"Um, Professor? Is it just me, or have you been ignoring my words of love lately?"

Again, she remained staring at the plant, refusing to give the chosen the attention he was craving. Leave that to someone who cared.

"If so, then these flowers may be useful for something." Lloyd commented.

"Yes, I agree." Presea replied.

"Presea, not you, too!" Zelos whimpered. Lloyd, fed up of the man's whining, turned to face him.

"Sheesh, Zelos, will you just shut up? We're gonna leave you behind!" he stated before proceeding towards the plant.

Raine was the only one who glanced behind, just catching the tail end of the hurt that passed over the man's face. Still she wouldn't pay it much mind. If Zelos wanted people to take him seriously and stop treating him like that he should learn to act seriously once in a while. Shaking her head to herself she stepped forwards to the centre of the rest of the group, directing Lloyd in how to use the sorcerer's ring when combined with the plants.

--

It was well after midday when the group finally arrived at a hut which looked to be promising in finding the mana leaf herb, and if it weren't for sheer will, Raine would've danced with pleasure right then. No more tedious puzzles with overgrown wind-blowing weeds…

The cottage they had found was a quaint little thing, stone walled and thatched roofed, a well set in front of it and colourful flowers around the arched windows, a fence surrounding the whole structure. It seemed to suit its owner, this so called 'Storyteller' well.

Hoping that they would finally get the leaf they needed they made their way inside, knocking briefly to announce their arrival before pushing inside the building. Standing in the room on the left was a hunched figure dressed in a long brown hooded robe. He turned to them on hearing them enter, looking them over.

"Humans? And half-elves?" His soft voice sounded confused by the presence of the people before him.

"You must be the Storyteller," Lloyd started "Can you give us some Mana Leaf Herb?" he held out the elder's staff to the elf and recognition registered on the elderly elf's face.

"I see you've brought proof from the Elder," he murmured "I'd like to say just take what you need, but…"

"Is there a problem?"

"It's in a somewhat difficult place. I don't know if you'll be able to go get it."

"We've made it all the way up this mountain," Zelos pointed out, folding his arms "We'll get it no matter where it is. We'll just send Lloyd."

Lloyd turned and scowled at the other male.

"Please, tell us where it is." Presea requested. The elf looked at them, considering, before acquiescing.

"Very well, follow me."

He led them out of the cottage and half way down one of two paths that led from the yard in front of his house, pointing down the rest of the way.

"The leaf can be found in the cave ahead. Be careful."

"Ok!" Lloyd nodded, grinning as the storyteller turned and left "Let's go, guys!"

'Let's go' turned to be something of an overstatement however, after following the path the storyteller had pointed out to them and finding it was blocked by a rather large waterfall. Just beyond the veil of water a dark hole, presumably the entrance to the cave, could be seen.

"That must be the cave." Lloyd stated, squinting through the water.

"I see…You can't enter it without splitting the waterfall."

"So we have to find a way to split it?"

Raine nodded. "Yes. Let's head back up to the top of the waterfall to see if there's some way to do it."

They did so, heading back up the path and taking a look over the waterfall, finding a rather large, loose boulder in the river above the waterfall and dislodging it so that it rolled downstream and split the flow of water.

Hoping that it had worked, they made their way back down again, finding the entrance to the cave clear now and, using one of the wind-blowing plants for what they hoped was the final time, made their way into the cave.

--

As Raine finally plucked the mana leaf herb from the ground and stored it in a pouch along with the other healing herbs she carried with her, she thought Murphy's Law was sadly true. 'What can go wrong, will go wrong.' And it did. Usually to a greater degree than you could ever imagine.

For example, in the case of recent events, after climbing up a mountain without a break for the entire morning and well into the afternoon, which was exhausting, and then having to find a way to split the waterfall, she had supposed that those would do as defences for the mana herb.

Apparently the giant plant that had risen from the ground to protect it, hadn't.

Sighing, she turned back to the others, healing the worst of the injuries before instructing them to leave and return to the Storyteller. He had some explaining to do…and they needed a place to recover for the remainder of the day.

They climbed out of the cave and back up to the quaint little cottage, pushing inside again to meet a mildly amused looking elf.

"So you made it back safely." He smiled softly before gesturing to cushions he had laid upon the floor for them to sit on, a cup of green tea set before each one. Zelos collapsed onto one gratefully. Lloyd, on the other hand, turned to the elf.

"You knew about the giant plant guarding the Mana Leaf Herb, didn't you?"

"Yes, but even if I had told you, your actions would not have changed. I felt a very strong will from you."

"Of course. It's for our very important friend." Lloyd answered.

Colette blushed. "…Lloyd…"

Raine stepped towards her laying a hand on her shoulder, motioning for her to sit down and one of the cushions before doing so herself. Lloyd eventually followed suit and, after taking a sip of tea, Raine looked up at the storyteller as he settled himself onto a wooden chair.

"By the way…" she began "Have you lived here for long?"

"Yes. I am the one who passes on the lore of the elven village to the next generation. Here I weave various stories into the mana leaf cloth."

"What kind of stories?" Presea asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Legends of elves descending from the sky, and the birth of humans…" he listed "The rise and fall of the Balacruf Dynasty. The arrival of angels. The Giant Kharlan Tree, the Kharlan War…and the story of the hero, Mithos."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Zelos broke in, sitting up "I thought the hero, Mithos was taboo in Heimdall!"

"This is not Heimdall." The elf frowned "I live here to pass on the legends without being bound by the customs of Heimdall."

"Just who was the hero, Mithos?" Lloyd questioned "We hear his name everywhere we go."

"His name came up in the pacts with the Summon Spirits." Colette explained.

"The legend of Mithos was involved in curing Colette's illness, too." Sheena added.

The storyteller nodded, smiling sadly. "Mithos was…born in Heimdall. He was an outsider who was cast out of the village when the Kharlan War began. He ended the Kharlan War with his three companions so that he could return to the village."

"An outsider?" Raine questioned. Mithos' story sounded strangely similar to her and Genis' which meant the elves didn't accept him…he was potentially… "Does that mean…he was a half-elf?" she finished cautiously.

Zelos scoffed "Mithos was a half-elf?! That's impossible!"

"Yes, Mithos was a half-elf." The storyteller confirmed, looking around the group. Shock registered on every face. The fact that the supposedly human hero had been a half-elf all this time, a half-elf had saved the world and yet nobody knew…

"Only one of his companions was human, and the others were half-elves. They were treated as outcasts, but overcame that and put an end to the war."

"Then why is his name taboo in Heimdall?" Regal asked.

"It's because he's a half-elf." Genis muttered as if it were an obvious fact. But the elf was shaking his head.

"No, that's incorrect. It is because the hero, Mithos, loved by Origin, is also a fallen hero."

Lloyd's eyebrows furrowed. "A fallen hero? What do you mean?"

"The ones who betrayed Origin and used the power of the magic sword given by Origin to split the world in two…" he explained, making sure he had everyone's attention, his eye contact seeming to connect with everyone as he spoke "were none other than Mithos and his companions."

Raine took in a breath, not expecting such a twist in the plot of the hero's story, but it was nothing compared to the shock she was about to receive…and her heart stopped for a moment, her stomach lurching when the words fell from his mouth.

"Mithos Yggdrasill, his older sister Martel, and their companions, Yuan and Kratos. The four angels changed the nature of the world, and that is why their names are taboo in Heimdall."

Kratos…was four thousand years old _and _was responsible for sundering the worlds?... Oddly enough, it was not the second piece of information that shocked her. His age alone was enough. She had always known he was older than he seemed, he had admitted to that himself…but she had thought he was perhaps in his mid-forties and aging spectacularly…not old enough to actually be a piece of living history.

"Yggdrasill of Cruxis is…the hero, Mithos?" Lloyd sputtered "And his companions were Martel, Yuan, and Kratos? That's impossible!"

"Even an elf cannot live that long." Regal pointed out.

"Angels can use special combat abilities developed during the Kharlan War. One ability uses the body's mana to alter its metabolism and stop the body's internal clock" the storyteller explained "This allows them to stop aging and become capable of living longer than elves…"

"I think…it is not good for one to exceed the lifespan of its species." Presea murmured.

Lloyd shook his head. "I'm totally confused. None of this makes any sense."

"Really? There's at least one thing we know for certain," Zelos proclaimed. Raine's eyes slid over to him, expecting to hear a comment about Kratos' age. So it was a rather pleasant surprise when the words that he said were completely different. "The power of Origin is involved in the splitting of the world. And the magic sword…that's the key."

Impressed by the fact that Zelos had overlooked the personal element of the information they had just received, Raine backed him up, trying to focus her thoughts onto the rest of the information.

"Exactly. We must be careful not to lose sight of the true problem. Our final goal is to save the two worlds."

Sheena nodded. "Yeah. We couldn't control the Giant Kharlan Tree, but if we can return the worlds to their true form…"

"At the very least, we can reform this system that vies for mana." Regal finished.

The storyteller nodded. "Yes. You must do simply what you can now. But please, I understand how trying your day has been, so you may rest here for the night."

With the arrangements for the night made the group whiled away the rest of the day, some asking the storyteller for more tales of the past, others venturing outside to collect Kirima and Amango fruit for future cooking or just enjoying the evening…taking a deep breath before the plunge into Cruxis' base.

--

A cool morning breeze greeted the group as they stepped out of the storyteller's cottage and Raine took a deep breath as she looked at the pastel colours before them.

"Alright," Lloyd breathed deeply "Let's go to Cruxis' main base, Derris-Kharlan!"

"But how are we going to get there?" Colette asked as he began to lead them down the mountain, the group listening closely as they walked.

"According to the scriptures, the Tower of Salvation is the entrance." Zelos answered.

"Then we should go to the Tower of Salvation. There's one on this side, too, right?"

"Well, yeah, there is one, but unfortunately, we need my Cruxis Crystal. The Cruxis Crystal acts as the key to the Tower of Salvation."

"You know a lot about it." Raine commented.

Zelos shrugged "Well, I am the great Chosen One, after all."

"I see…You were born with a Cruxis Crystal, too." Lloyd mused.

"Yep. My sister has it right now. She's in the Abbey located southeast of the Toize Valley Mine."

"Ok. Let's head there."

They pulled out the rheairds from the wing pack before taking off straight from the land outside the storyteller's house, pulling high up into the air over the mountains. Driving through plumes of cloud they angled south, the shadows of their vehicles spluttering over the ocean.

They flew for some time before they came across the abbey and it was only Zelos calling to them over the somewhat howling winds that alerted them to their proximity, causing Lloyd to take a sharp nose dive to the little isle.

When the remainder of the group settled on the island at a more relaxed pace they headed up to the red brick building, Zelos suddenly taking the lead from Lloyd, pushing into the building. The two males went upstairs quickly and after a moment, Raine and Genis followed. The rest of the group remained downstairs.

Zelos' sister was a rather diminutive girl, her hair a slightly pinker, paler shade of red than Zelos', her skin paler than Raine's, a delicate spray of freckles over her cheeks and nose. Dressed in a white blouse and red skirt she looked like she wouldn't harm a fly. The look she gave him, after the initial shock had passed, said otherwise.

"Big bro…" she swallowed her words "I mean…I see that the Chosen is his usual self, wandering around aimlessly."

"Yo Seles! I need that Cruxis Crystal I left with you. Give it back to me."

"As you wish," She smiled falsely "After all, it rightfully belongs to the Chosen." There was a particular spite in her voice as she said 'the chosen'.

"Yep." Zelos grinned.

"Now, if your business here is done, I humbly request that you leave. Immediately." She snapped curtly at his attitude.

"All right, all right…" he held up his hands, backing away from her "Guess I'm as unpopular as ever. Poor me…"

It was just as he was about to step from the world, seemingly without a word, that Seles called out to him.

"W…wait…big bro…"

He turned slowly "What is it, my darling little sister?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "Nothing!"

"Oh…all right then." Zelos replied amicably before walking away, throwing a wave over his shoulder before descending the stairs without a backward glance.

Raine stayed behind for a moment, lips pursed.

"Please take care…" Seles whispered after a moment.

"He couldn't hear that, you know." Lloyd pointed out to her.

"I didn't say anything. So it doesn't matter if my big brother couldn't hear it."

"Aha!" Genis shouted triumphantly. "You called him big brother!"

"N…no, I didn't!" She protested "There's no way I'd have a brother like that! Now, please leave!"

With the young woman so obviously upset at the encounter, Raine grabbed Genis firmly by the shoulder, guiding him from the room and motioning for Lloyd to do the same. He nodded, following her down the stairs.

Making their way downstairs, they found Zelos at the bottom, talking to the rest of the group. He turned to Raine, Lloyd and Genis as they reached the base of the steps.

"Well, what do you think? I'm well-loved, aren't I?"

Raine frowned. As much as Zelos could be…unlikable to anyone with more than half a brain cell, she couldn't understand why his sister, his only family, showed so much malice towards him. It was true that Zelos could have acted better back, but he may well simply be covering for his true emotions of hurt over his sister's treatment of him.

"She's certainly not very friendly." Lloyd commented.

"Don't be too hard on her. She was sickly ever since she was a kid, but despite that her mother…" Zelos paused, thinking a moment before waving his hand "Ah…never mind."

"As she left, she said, 'Please take care.'" Raine told him.

"Oh," It seemed to be the only thing Zelos was able to say in response "Well, anyway. We're ready now, right? On to the Tower of Salvation."

…He brushed it away so easily and he lifted his eyes to hers for a moment before blinking and turned to Lloyd as he let out an enthusiastic:

"Yeah!"

They were about to go into the belly of the enemy.

* * *

So yes. Please review :)


	36. Cures?

A.N: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter but the document uploader didn't want to work yesterday.

Thanks for reviews, as always.

Enjoy!

* * *

Cures?

The Tower of Salvation in Tethe'alla was near identical, Raine found as they approached it, to the one in Sylvarant. It still had the same height, that she could see anyway, for when she stood back from it and craned her head back, she still couldn't see the top, obscured by clouds as it was. She had to wonder just how tall it was…if perhaps it went into the upper atmosphere of the world, to connect directly to Derris-Kharlan. The only difference between this tower and the one in Sylvarant seemed to be that this one was more easily accessed.

Walking up those strange disjointed green-blue glass steps she stood amongst the others, waiting for Zelos to open up the tower.

"Coming here reminds me of my journey to regenerate the world." Colette murmured, sadness in her voice as well as nostalgia. It was a hell of a simpler time back then even if it was only a few months ago…so much had happened…

"But this time, we're here to cure your illness." Lloyd reminded, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder briefly, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I'm curious to see what the design of Tethe'alla's Tower of Salvation is like." Raine hummed. If the outside seemed the same, would the inside be different? Looking down the steps she noticed Zelos finally clambering up them and she smiled to herself at the thought of discovering the inside of this tower.

"Now, Zelos! Open the door! Quickly!" she demanded.

Zelos lifted an eyebrow, swerving straight for the oracle stone type structure that stood to the right of the door without stopping.

"You know," he began as he headed for it "you can get really scary sometimes."

With the Cruxis Crystal in hand he pressed it down onto the receiving pad of the stone. A second later, the stone door of the tower slid open smoothly. Raine grinned enthusiastically. Zelos bounced on his heels, suddenly full of himself.

"Oh, yeah! Check me out! It's my time to shine! Do I look like a Chosen or what?"

Raine lifted an eyebrow, pushing inside the tower, vaguely registering the conversation behind her.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's get going." Lloyd muttered.

Zelos cackled. "Roger!"

"That's a very disturbing laugh…" Regal commented and Raine stopped in the doorway, turning to look at the men.

"Zelos…is something wrong?" Presea asked tentatively. Raine passed her a questioning glance…Zelos didn't seem any different…just a little more pretentious than usual.

Zelos seemed equally stunned by the question. "What?"

"You're even more…um…"

"Obnoxious?" Sheena supplied "Nah, he's always like this. Just ignore him."

Zelos sniggered quietly to himself, mumbling something before following the rest of the group in. Raine watched him cautiously for a moment. His behaviour was rather…odd and she had to wonder just what he was up to. Presea clearly seemed to notice it, though the others remained oblivious. It was true that Zelos had acted a little…differently on several occasions and she wondered if there was a link between those moments. Deciding to keep an eye on him, she turned back and entered the tower, its Chosen at her side.

--

Raine glanced around at the inside of the tower of salvation as they warped to the second walkway of the tower. It had the same blue-green hue inside it, bouncing off walls that seemed not to exist. The floor was glass and black pillars, inscribed with glowing blue mana lines, lined the walkway.

It seemed, all in all, the same as the tower in Sylvarant. Especially when they came across those endless coils of coffins, gliding eerily about the room.

Zelos took in a breath in disgust.

"Ghastly…" Regal commented, his face contorted.

Sheena looked around, confusion furrowing her brow. "Wait. Is this really Tethe'alla?"

Apparently she, like Raine, had noticed that the places seemed to be identical.

"It looks identical to Sylvarant's Tower of Salvation!" Genis agreed.

"My body…I can't stop shaking. This is the same place!" Colette whimpered.

"It can't be!" Lloyd protested.

Raine frowned pacing forwards into the main chamber of the room, casting her eyes up the long paths of earth that would over head, her eyes flicking over to a broken pillar…which if she remembered correctly…

"Lloyd. Remember this?" she gestured to the pillar, Lloyd running over a moment later, his brow creasing.

"That's…wait, I broke that!"

It was as they were distracted by the realisation of the tower that something, or rather, someone, materialised behind them. His voice drifted over to them as he spoke.

"The two worlds are connected here. Of course it's the same place." Kratos stated quietly.

Lloyd whipped around, the rest of the group following suit, finding Kratos standing before them, arms folded over his chest.

"Kratos…it's you again…" Lloyd breathed, stepping towards the man. "Who are you, really? Are you really one of Mithos' companions from 4,000 years ago?"

Kratos stared at his son for a moment, as if trying to judge how the boy felt about the situation.

"Good," he answered eventually "Since you figured that out, it saves me the time to explain. We will take the Chosen as the new body for Martel."

"You're still trying to do that? Are you so intent on resurrecting Martel that you're willing to distort the entire world in the process?!"

Kratos grasped the hilt of his sword, pulling it free from its scabbard slowly.

"I have no need to explain."

"So in the end, you really are our enemy! I kept thinking…hoping that you might be good…but you're not!"

Kratos' eyes narrowed. "I should think that would be obvious at this point."

Raine shook her head, staring at Kratos even as Lloyd drew his own swords. Would he never learn? Still, she had to wonder exactly what Kratos had been doing by aiding them…if he had indeed been aiding them. She had had the vague hope that perhaps he had turned against Yggdrasill, after all he had shown signs of doing so before, but apparently not. Her only comfort was that she was not overly surprised that he hadn't turned his back on his leader. What she had said to him in the Iselia forest was true…he did go running back to Cruxis and he really was too weak to break away from it. She had to wonder just why she still found him attractive, knowing that about him.

"Don't hold back this time!" Lloyd growled in warning, looking at the man he still didn't realise was his father. Raine thought she saw a flicker of pride and amusement on Kratos' face, for just a second before his son charged at him.

Kratos held back as the boy ran towards him, his eyes flicking to Sheena and Genis as they leapt forwards into the battle. These were the same people he had fought months ago, when Colette had lost her soul…he would test how far their nerve had progressed, along with their skills. Would Sheena now have the strength to attack him outright, without waiting for Lloyd to be at her side? Would Genis' spells be able to break his barriers? And Raine…would she fight against him? Would she use all her cunning in battle, use those spells of hers that could broil flesh in seconds?

From the way she stepped forwards, skirting to the side of the battlefield to begin casting her spells, she would and he found himself glad of the fact. He would not have her cower away from her own true nature and betray her friends, as he had, for his sake.

Lloyd's first blow struck him hard and took him by surprise, lost in thoughts as he had been and he snapped his blade up barely in time, the sound of metal on metal clashing in his ears. Harsh and clear as the peals of steel rang and he leapt back from the boy, eyes sweeping over all his opponents.

Lloyd's second blow was not as effective as the first, and he deflected it easily with a flick of his sword before spinning on his left foot as the boy stumbled, bringing a hard kick to his unprotected side. A second later he had to replace his foot on the ground, swinging his sword back to his right-side without even looking, knowing Sheena was there, and he caught the girl across the chest with the flat of his blade. His aim was not to kill here…merely to render the first battalion useless, so to speak. If he knocked out the first four, the remainder of the group would be too busy caring for them to defend themselves properly.

With Lloyd and Sheena staggering behind him he darted for Genis, intent of knocking the boy out before he could release the spell he was casting. He scanned the runes circling about the boy as he ran towards him, realising a second later the attack he was preparing. Eruption. The boy really did have a penchant for that attack.

He lifted Flamberge as he charged for the boy, noting that when the boy lifted his head to look at the man charging at him, there was no fear or panic this time…instead his eyes hardened in determination. Kratos almost smirked to himself. The boy was taking after his sister, finally growing a backbone.

Tightening his hand about his sword's hilt, he began to lift it, only to have to snap it down again a moment later when a sword appeared in front of him, Lloyd sweeping round to the man's front. Mouth set into a grim frown he barrelled forwards a moment later, slamming into the man's stomach, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Grunting, Kratos shoved the boy from atop him, snatching his sword from the ground as light surrounded Lloyd, healing the scrape that Flamberge had caused the boy. It seemed to renew him too, for a moment later, he leapt to his feet, turning to Kratos with a cocky, challenging stance. Kratos smiled inwardly before launching himself towards his son, sword snapping left, right, down, the last attack barely blocked, leaving another thin scrape on the boy. He didn't back off for a second though and Kratos found himself almost beginning to waver under the boy's attacks, to find them challenging. Almost.

They locked blades and Kratos suddenly had the upper hand. Lloyd's techniques may be improving, and even his physical strength growing…but he was still no match for an angel, not when it came to pure brute strength. Forcing his blade further into the lock between Lloyd's he twisted suddenly and pulled his hand back, wrenching the weapons from Lloyd's grasp. They clattered loudly in as they struck stone floor. The boy gasped staggering back as Kratos took a step forwards, swiping his blade so that the flat of it collided with the boy's head.

He almost flinched as the boy crumbled to the floor.

With one down Kratos turned his gaze to the other boy. Mana was building in the air, prickling at Kratos' sensitive skin and any second now, he would release a wave of fire upon him. Grimacing he lifted his sword before him, preparing to cast guardian, when a burst of pain between his shoulder blades made him stagger. He spun to see Sheena standing behind him, smirking triumphantly at the fact she had distracted him and he charged at her.

The ninja ducked out the way at the last moment though and his blow missed her completely, sending his sword swiping through thin air and him stumbling to counter for the movement. Another blow into the small of his back alerted him to Sheena's proximity and he turned to face her again, jumping back this time.

Except that there was no firm ground under his feet when he came to landing, just a jumble of rock and flame. He staggered, flames soaring up above him, grasping him and tossing him into the air, his body struck time and again by rock and flame. When the mana faded he slammed into the floor heavily, grunting and gasping for air, wincing at the broken bones, bruises and burns that afflicted him. He staggered upright after a moment, too aware that he was still in battle and he raised his head to glare at Genis…catching sight of Lloyd rising to his feet out of the corner of his eye.

"Resurrection!"

Spinning, Kratos looked to Raine and lifted his sword to eye level. With her able to heal and revive there was no way he could afford to take the group out one at a time. So he would have to do it all at once.

Taking himself back to the very corner of the battle field he allowed himself to focus on his mana, grasping at it within himself and tugging at it, pulling and winding it into shape, burning bright white in his mind's eye as he stared blankly at the battle field.

Light rose about his feet, pure white and blinding, and for a moment, Lloyd and Sheena staggered back the light driving them away temporarily. Raine lifted her eyebrow, right across the other side of the arena and she lifted her staff, mirroring her former lover.

She cast desperately, grasping at mana in the air…she knew what he was going to do and she had to get there first. And she wanted to do it in the most ironic way…

She summoned them in her mind, thin beams of white that would strike down from above them, a single shining point above the battlefield.

Kratos narrowed his eyes, glaring at his opponents from within the glow. The words were conjured in his mind now, the mana in his body thrumming with their power. Looking at the woman mirroring his stance, his attack, he let the words flow.

"Sacred powers! Cast thy purifying light on these corrupt souls. Rest in peace, sinners!"

He pulled the sword back, vertical before his face.

"Judgement!"

The light shot down in great, blinding beams, the sheer mana that struck the ground near Lloyd and Sheena overpowering them, sending them crumbling to the floor. Genis fell a second later, the observers driven back by the light. And through the volley of light and mana and power, Raine stood fast, releasing her spell moments before a beam struck the ground centimetres before her feet.

He watched her fall as his own attack before snapping his head up, looking at the shimmering ball of light she had created, his eyes widening as a single beam shot straight towards him.

He threw guardian up in an attempt to protect himself…a second too late as he felt heat and light sear his skin before the shield formed and enclosed him, protecting him until the lights died away.

Letting the shield drop, Kratos staggered back, staring down at his singed abdomen before flicking his eyes up as the conscious members of Lloyd's group dashed towards their fallen comrades. Angels materialised about the group a moment later, seizing them.

Regal growled, shoving one of them away as he bent over Sheena, only to receive a hard blow from a staff.

"I would advise against resisting, for there will be no mercy this time." He suggested quietly, though his gaze was entirely free of malice as he looked over the group before striding over to the elevator. He travelled up, the angels and the group around him.

He watched over them as the males and females were separated before turning on his heel and leaving them to themselves. He had to report to Yggdrasill…and apply some much needed ice to the burning wound on his chest and stomach. They had almost beaten him…much more training and perhaps they could do it. And if they could beat him…they weren't far off being able to beat Yggdrasill.

--

Raine woke up slowly, wearily, to the sound of faint, fogged voices. Blinking, she pushed herself up on her hands, feeling cold metal beneath her hands.

"Professor? Are you ok?"

She turned at the sound of Colette's concerned voice, her face slowly swimming into focus.

"Ah…yes, I'm fine."

"Maybe we were tricked," Genis was suggesting, from where she couldn't see though and she staggered to her feet, finding her and the three other females locked in a cell, presumably in Derris-Kharlan. She listened into what Genis was saying. "He had us gather the materials to treat Colette and then had us bring her here…That sure saved them a lot of time and effort."

"Kratos used us? Did he betray us again?" Lloyd asked.

Raine frowned to herself, mulling over the question in her mind, before flicking back to the conversation. She could dwell on her feelings when they were in a less dire situation.

"Damn it!! This thing's built solid as a rock! And I can't open the lock either." Lloyd kicked at the bars in frustration.

"Same here. It won't budge at all." Sheena called to him. Raine guessed they'd tried whilst she was conscious.

"So we're completely trapped…"

"Move." The command came from Regal and Raine cocked her head, pressing herself to the bars, wondering what he was doing.

A blast of blue-white light followed, metal being shattered and blown across the room. Her eyes widened…that kind of power…in a human…

Startled cries went up and Raine gasped in surprise. A few moments after the boys appeared over the opposite side of the room, before taking a horizontal lift over to the girl's cage and breaking open the door for them.

Stepping out, Raine looked around at the blank white room, the technology.

"How did you do that?" Lloyd asked, looking at Regal intently.

"I originally specialized in fighting with my hands, not my feet. And since Exspheres amplify their user's abilities far above their maximum limits, this result is to be expected."

"Then why don't you just fight with your hands?" Zelos asked. Raine rolled her eyes. Did he know nothing about Regal and his past?

"I swore I would never fight with these hands again. This time, I used them in order to save you."

Lloyd nodded, understanding. "All right. Everybody, grab what you can and let's get out of here!"

They headed for the transporter, a glowing purple disc contained in a frame. Lloyd stepped up onto it quickly, but after a few seconds, still remained standing there. He looked down, confused.

"What the? That's weird. This is a transporter, right?"

"There may be a problem with the destination." Raine offered as an answer.

"Man, what do we do now?" he complained "We can't stay here."

"Lloyd, I'll go fly around and have a look." Colette offered. Lloyd frowned but nodded after a moment.

"Ok…don't do anything dangerous."

"I know." She assured before releasing her wings, beating them to lift herself into the air, disappearing from view as she rose.

She reappeared a few minutes later, standing on the warp pad Lloyd had moved away from. Lloyd grinned.

"Nice job, Colette. Now let's go, everyone!"

They took the warp pad up to the area Colette had just been in and Raine looked around, her interest piqued.

Welgaia was…an odd combination of drab and mystical. Harsh, dull technology combined with the beauty of space all around it. They were standing in an area obscured by walls, but she was able to peer over them.

The floors were grey. The walls were white. There was a building at the top of the floor plan and one to the right, automated walkways leading to a different area. Looking up, she thought that she saw a glass dome covering the city, the blackness of space, dotted with its stars completely surrounding them. And everywhere contained within this bubble, angels. Floating a meter or so off the floor and seeming to have no purpose whatsoever. Just hanging in the air like living dolls.

"They're all angels," Lloyd whispered, peering over the wall with her "We're gonna get caught if we just wander around here."

"You're right. We'll pretend to be Colette's prisoners. She should be fine because she's an angel." Raine suggested. It was… risky. If the angels had any curiosity left, they would ask questions. But it was the only chance they had to find that mana fragment and get out of this place.

The problem they had now was where to start…but Raine supposed they should work logically, starting with the building on the right. With Colette in front, they followed behind her to the building. The angels all but ignored them as Colette glided before them, her wings on show.

The group entered the building, Raine finding it similar to the storage facility in Kvar's ranch. A single angel, dressed in armoured uniform, floated before them, white, feathered wings beating softly.

Colette approached the angel quietly. "Excuse me…could I please have a fragment of mana?"

"Fragments of mana are no longer being distributed. Return to your area." He answered curtly.

"You won't give us one?!" Lloyd questioned, upset.

"A human?!"

Raine stepped forward quickly, pinching Lloyd in punishment. He was not playing the part.

"These are the subjects needed for the Cruxis Crystal research."

"Hi-Exsphere research? I see. Now that you mention it, I've heard that research involving humans were being conducted."

"Yes, exactly. And we require a fragment of mana for that purpose."

"Understood. Then please show me your identification."

"Do we need that?" Zelos questioned…this would be their downfall if they absolutely had to have it.

"Of course."

Zelos frowned and Raine cast an eye over him. The angel had not seemed to consider it strange for one of the 'human test subjects' to be asking such a question. Or at least, not Zelos…

Raine shook her head, they were suddenly cut short and she thought deeply, wondering what they could do to get around the problem. She was, however, saved from the task when the hologramatic communicator flickered into life, displaying Kratos. Raine lifted an eyebrow at his timing…and his appearance, specifically the large, bloody patch of skin being displayed through a large hole burnt into cloth. She had managed to get him after all…

"Lord Kratos!" the angel exclaimed, bowing suddenly.

"We need a fragment of mana for the ritual of the Chosen," he informed the angel, seeming not to notice the group…or else ignoring them "I've sent a courier over to pick it up."

His image flickered out of sight immediately after he delivered the message.

"Yeah, that. That's us!" Lloyd stated, grasping the chance.

"Are you saying you're Lord Kratos' couriers?"

"Y…yeah."

Raine lifted her hand to the boy, striking him hard. "Silence, human!"

"We're with Kratos." Colette spoke up quietly.

"But just a moment ago, you said you were going to use it for hi-Exsphere research…"

"That's right. And it just so happens that it's also needed in the ritual, so we came to retrieve it. Please hurry." Raine replied.

"But without identification…" he mumbled

"While you're complaining about these little nitpicky details, you're keeping Yggdrasill waiting. Do you want to tick him off?"

Finally, Lloyd had learnt how to persuade people, all be it in a very brusque manner.

"A…all right." The angel muttered before flying to the top of the storage facility. He came back a moment later, a box in hand, handing it to Colette. The girl opened the box quickly, checking on the shimmering, glowing object inside, before handing it to Raine. She tucked it away inside her coat quickly.

With the mana fragment in their possession, and the last of the items required for healing Colette, they turned their thoughts to getting out of the city and to Altessa's as quickly as possible. Colette's crystallisation had partly restricted the movement of her shoulder and elbow of her left arm. Time was getting short.

They left the building and headed for the automated walkways, letting them guide them to the centre of the city of angels. Welgaia, as one of the signs named it. The city in fact, seemed to be almost a technologically advanced version of Exire. Islands with walkways leading in between them.

"Hey, look at that." Genis pointed to the other side of the city. A beam of purple energy rings were being beamed ever upwards into the air.

"A giant…transporter, perhaps?"

"Maybe we use that to get back to the ground." Lloyd suggested. It seemed a logical guess and Raine nodded, directing Colette over to it. Once there, however, they were turned away again…apparently, identification was required to move anywhere in this place. Not that she could really blame Yggdrasill. It would actually be stupid _not _to have those security measures.

With no other choice, they began to look around for more means of escape, taking the only remain walkway to the area they had not visited yet. It turned out to be a data room, or so Raine reasoned, and she scanned the computer banks. Perhaps, if they had time, they could collect some information whilst they were here…namely from the computer on the other side of the room. The only one that wasn't guarded.

She hacked into the system quickly, finding it to indeed be a database…and from the data present on it she had to wonder why it wasn't guarded. Perhaps Kratos was helping them from the shadows?

All the information present was about Derris-Kharlan, Yggdrasill's plans and even the Eternal sword they were placing so much theory on…it seemed strange that the fact that nearly all Yggdrasill's power came from the eternal sword was documented. It seemed the sort of information one would want to keep to themselves…

"We've obtained some very valuable information," Raine commented as the group finished reading and pulled away from the screen "But we shouldn't stay here long. Let's escape through that emergency route that we found earlier." She suggested, pointing to the emergency teleporter Colette had spied earlier. With the exit in sight they quickly headed back to the other side of the room, stepping onto the horizontal transporter.

"It looks like that's the emergency exit." Colette commented.

"Ok, let's go before anyone sees us…" Lloyd muttered, kicking the machine into action. It lurched as it began to cross the gap.

"No, it looks like they already found us." Raine pointed to the group of angels that had just entered the room and the group balked as they began to head towards them.

Colette, under Raine's instruction, took to the air grabbing Genis and carrying him over to the teleporter, taking it to wherever it may lead whilst the others stood waiting on the moving platform.

Zelos, Sheena and Regal jumped from the platform when they were a few metres away, taking the transporter down, giving Raine, Lloyd and Presea space and time to be teleported before the angels could catch them. It was a close call though, and the second Raine was through, bringing up the rear, Regal smashed the receiving warp pad, preventing the angels from following. They had no delusions, however, that that would stop Cruxis from pursuing them and they quickly took off down the stairs before them.

The area they had entered into was a bizarre labyrinth of winding glass and red walled passages, gates arranged strategically. They seemed to be there to make progression as slow as possible and had it not been for Raine's extraordinary patience with these sorts of things, she would have tried kicking the gates down.

The anti-gravity rooms weren't helping at all either, despite watching Zelos crashing into things and managing to rip a sizable patch of material from the seat of his white pants. Apparently he favoured almost thong sized underwear, an affectation that always confused Raine. Why would a male want to have such tight underwear restricting that particular body part?

It felt like hours that they spent navigating the area, collecting keys and opening gates and Raine felt utterly relieved when they found an elevator without an angel managing to capture them. Taking the elevator down they then travelled across the room to a transporter, hopefully the last stage of the journey back down to earth.

It was, and even Presea let out a noise of relief as they appeared in the main chamber of the tower of salvation, the great purple blade standing in the centre of the room.

Lloyd approached the blade, peering at it.

"This is the sword Yggdrasill struck me with…"

"Could this be the Eternal Sword then?" Raine wondered aloud. Zelos laughed loudly at the suggestion, somehow making the woman feel inferior. Something very few people could do. Kratos was really the only other man who could manipulate her so.

"No way. Nobody'd leave a sword that important in a place like this."

Raine frowned. He had a point, but that logic didn't necessarily work. Yggdrasill might use the logic of: closer to danger, further from harm. They would overlook the sword because it seemed an unlikely place to leave something that important.

"How about we take it to Heimdall and show it to the Elder?" Lloyd suggested. Genis nodded.

"Good idea. That way we'd know for sure."

It was as Lloyd turned back to the sword, reaching out to grasp it that the familiar soft but commanding voice of Yggdrasill echoed around the room.

"You have not the right."

Moments later, Lloyd was flung away from the sword by a wave of energy.

"Oww," Lloyd grunted, pulling himself to his feet "What happened?!"

Yggdrasill appeared before them as the words left Lloyd's mouth, the blank green eyes glaring at Lloyd.

"A waste of effort," The angel mocked. "The Eternal Sword cannot be touched by those who lack the right."

"The right?"

"He must be talking about the pact with Origin!" Sheena answered "That's the sword Yggdrasill tricked Origin into giving him!"

Yggdrasill laughed at the girl's accusatory words and Raine couldn't quite understand, even with her rationale, how this person once saved the world. But perhaps her problem was that she was rational. Yggdrasill was clearly insane and so she had no hope of understanding him.

"You really are a pathetic bunch," Yggdrasill sighed "It matters not. Origin is under Kratos' seal. Either way, it is impossible for you to wield that sword. And without the power of the Eternal Sword, you cannot reunite the worlds. Your journey is futile."

"Futile?" Lloyd questioned "You're the one who's making futile attempts to bring back the dead! Besides, what does splitting the world in two even have to do with that?!"

"The worlds still exist only because they were separated into two." Yggdrasill answered in a dangerously quiet voice.

"No! It's because of being split in two that there's not enough mana and countless people are suffering!"

"Think for a moment," Yggdrasill ordered "Why is there a shortage of mana? Well? What do you think, my fellow kinsman?" he turned his grey-green eyes onto Genis. Raine frowned. She wanted to tell Genis not to respond. Yggdrasill was assuming that Genis was the weak link, that as a young half-elf, he would side with him. She hoped he was wrong…her brother could still be unfortunately idealistic.

"Um…because the development of magitechnology resulted in a large consumption of mana?" Genis answered.

"Yes…and that magitechnology led to a great war. War consumes an abhorrent amount of mana."

"Don't change the subject," Lloyd snapped "There's a mana shortage because you won't let the Great Seed germinate."

"I am not changing the subject. Even if the Giant Tree were to be revived, another war would make it wither and die. Wars are caused by two opposing forces. That is why I split the world in two: To isolate the powers that caused that foolish Kharlan War into the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla."

"By alternating between prosperity and dearth, the development of magitechnology is subdued," Raine summarised "So that was your plan."

"Although, at the moment, Tethe'alla has prospered for a little too long." Yggdrasill conceded. Raine lifted an eyebrow in agreement.

"You're lying," Lloyd accused the angel "You're sacrificing the Great Seed just to save Martel."

"That's right," the angel agreed. Lloyd flinched, clearly not expecting that answer…but Yggdrasill was well aware of how to make an impact on people. "The same way you abandoned the declining world of Sylvarant in order to save Colette."

He smirked. "What you're doing is exactly the same."

"No, it's not!"

"Yes it is."

Raine rolled her eyes at the supposedly intellectual angel's response.

"No it's not!! Lloyd isn't like you!" Genis butted in.

"What?" Yggdrasill questioned, looking surprised.

"Lloyd is looking for a way to save both Colette and the world! You're a coward who gave up!"

"It is the same thing," the angel answered, his voice not quite as cool and composed as it had once been "I am trying to create a world without discrimination. That is the way to save the world."

"A world without discrimination? That's…"

"People fear and hate what is not normal. They are scared of those that are different. Then the solution is for everyone to become the same. By using the Exspheres to eliminate the different bloods that flow through elves and humans, everyone on this earth will become the same lifeless beings. Discrimination will vanish. That is the grand age I strive for."

"Everyone…the same…" Genis whispered, staring up at the man.

"Yes. Desians and Cruxis both exist for this purpose. The conflicts between the races born from discrimination will disappear, Genis."

Genis took a few steps towards Yggdrasill and Raine had to stop herself from reaching out to stop in. She had to trust her brother not to be swayed by words and empty promises. Yggdrasill was nothing more than a politician now.

"People will stop treating us differently? Really?"

"Genis!" Lloyd called "Don't fall for it! Think about how the Exspheres are made! They're made at the cost of people's lives, like Marble. Don't you see what's wrong with that?!"

"With revolution comes sacrifice. If you cannot understand that, then you deserve to die with the others." Yggdrasill responded. He disappeared a second later, only to reappear on the lower level, in front of Lloyd.

"However, first you'll hand over the Chosen."

"No! I won't let you!"

"You have no choice."

Raine watched as Lloyd, once again, launched into battle, this time against an opponent whom he hadn't a hope in hell of beating. Presea and Regal joined in the battle this time, allowing the still weary Sheena and Genis some rest. Lloyd, ideally, shouldn't have been fighting either…but there was really no way to stop him. Zelos stepped forwards, pushing Raine out of the battlefield, taking it upon himself to heal the group as much as his ability allowed him to.

Unsurprisingly, however, the battle did not last long. Yggdrasill was far too powerful and the group all but exhausted by the day's events. What did surprise Raine was the amount of damage Lloyd and the others _had _managed to inflict upon the angel. His clothes were tattered and scorched, the unprotected skin on his chest bruised and scratched and it was only the outburst attack that sent Lloyd slamming to the floor that stopped the group in its tracks. Yggdrasill glared as Lloyd staggered to his feet, the boy looking as if he wanted to have another go.

The sudden event of Colette collapsing, however, stopped him, and he dashed over to the girl, Raine following suit.

"Colette!"

Growling Genis cast a single fireball from his kendama, driving Yggdrasill back as he made to approach the fallen girl. He grabbed at his chest in response backing off as Pronyma appeared beside him, looking concerned for the wellbeing of her Lord.

"Lord Yggdrasill!" she exclaimed, moving towards him before fixing her eyes on Genis who stood with his kendama still lifted into the air.

"You little vermin! You may be one of us, but you shall pay for your treachery!" she lifted her hand, summoning dark mana to her, preparing to attack him and Raine called out to her brother, crying for him to move out of the way.

Genis' reflexes, however, left something to be desired and he stood frozen on the spot as Pronyma threw her attack at him. The attack struck flesh and Genis cried out…not in pain but surprise. Yggdrasill had taken the blow for him…

"W…why?" Genis asked.

Yggdrasill straightened.

"L..Lord Yggdrasill…" Pronyma stuttered, knowing now that she had done wrong, not only by injuring her lord, but by trying to attack Genis also.

"Pronyma!" Yggdrasill snapped "Why are you here?"

Her face took on a sudden expression of composure. "Sir. Ah…new activity in regards to that certain matter has…"

"Understood," he floated away from Genis to look at the group. "Not always is there a way to save everyone. Remember that. Lloyd, the path you seek is nothing but an illusion."

The two Cruxis members disappeared in a flash of light a moment later, but not before Yggdrasill had thrown Genis a meaningful glance.

Lloyd stared after them. "Why did he let us go?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Raine saw Genis moving, stooping as if to pick something up but she had more important things to worry about. Like the girl lying semi-conscious in her arms.

"Lloyd, we must treat Colette as quickly as possible." She reminded. Lloyd turned back to look at her.

"Right. Let's head to Altessa's place."

They left the tower as quickly as possible, Zelos carrying Colette, and made their way around to the other side of the mountain range before sinking down to the ground level cottage in which Altessa lived. Lloyd ran ahead, bursting in and explaining the situation as Raine walked alongside Zelos, keeping an eye on the unconscious Colette.

"We have the necessary items to cure her," Raine explained as Zelos placed the girl down onto one of the beds inside. "Please save her."

Altessa looked confused. "You found out how to cure it?! But what can I do?…"

"We want you to make something called a Rune Crest! I remember the process as described in the book."

"**Let us hurry, Master.**" Tabatha urged. Altessa nodded after a moment of thought.

"All right. Everyone else, go outside."

Raine watched them go before turning to Altessa, pulling out the objects they had collected for the treatment and beginning to explain the process to him…

--

Raine spent the next few hours watching Altessa work and finally fit the Rune crest to Colette and she sighed in relief before leaving the girl to rest, following Altessa and Tabatha from the room. They were instantly bombarded with questions of course and Raine was content to listen in quietly. Quite frankly, all she wanted to do now was rest. Zelos however, insisted on eating and plied Lloyd with food. Eventually the teenager had to tell the older man to stop.

Raine shook her head. She had only eaten a little herself, just enough to keep her going until breakfast. She couldn't eat much before going to bed.

It was when Lloyd staggered from his chair and looked to the bedroom that she became concerned about him.

"Now I feel sleepy all of a sudden. I'm going to bed."

"It's not good for your digestion if you sleep right after eating." Raine told him.

"Are you alright?" Regal asked "Your fatigue may have finally caught up with you."

"I'm fine. I'm just going to lie down for a little while." He answered before staggering off to the bedrooms. Raine frowned and a few minutes later, announced that she was going to check onto the boy and she followed him in. He was sleeping soundly when she found him and she rolled her eyes before pulling him onto his side, hoping it would stop him from having indigestion when he woke.

Suddenly exhausted herself, she turned to one of the free beds and lay down upon it, wanting to rest and she drifted off to sleep easily, glad for the soft bed and hoping that when she woke up she would feel fresh and ready to take on the world.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter _should _be very very interesting (because we all know what happens next) so I'll do my best to fulfil expectations. We're nearing the end, folks.

Thanks for reading :)


	37. Family Matters

A.N: Hi. Sorry for the delay with updating but I didn't manage to finish this chapter in time for monday (in fact I had, like, 2 pages written at that point) as I've been busy with uni work and personal commitments.

Now as a note, this is my last week at home, so I'll be going back to uni on sunday, meaning updates are going to become sparse again. However, the term is only about 7 weeks so I should back to regular updates after that. I'll try and get a lot done during the weeks I'm back in uni anyway because we're drawing close to the end and I'm quite eager to get this finished.

Anyway, thanks again for reviews, and I hope this chapter is up to scratch.

Enjoy!

* * *

Family Matters

When Raine woke it was not, as she expected it to be, morning. Or at least, not morning in the sense of the sun having risen. In fact the room was so dark, as she cracked an eye open, that she could barely see.

Sighing she made a movement to get up. Her throat was sore, her mouth dry, and even the small movement of lifting her head off pillow made her feel nauseous. She let her head fall back onto the pillow, swallowing in an attempt to ease her throat. It didn't work and she closed her eyes, wondering just what the sudden affliction of ailments was caused by.

She breathed slowly as she thought about it, trying to stave off the nausea, when a noise caught her attention. Her ears snapped to the sound, suddenly straining to catch it again, identify it. It didn't repeat itself and she began to relax when a new sound came into play…the soft whirr of electricity…and a sudden grunt from Lloyd.

He panted a moment later. "My…my body…I can't move!"

It took all her will not to jump up at the moment and demand to know what was going on, but she kept silent, pressed to the bed, trying to keep her breathing even.

"Do you want to meet your father?"

That low almost huskily quality to the new voice could only mean it was Yuan speaking, and against her better judgement, she cracked an eye open cautiously. It was indeed the Renegade leader, standing over Lloyd, a ball of electricity paralysing the boy.

"What have you done with my dad?!"

Raine frowned. She was sure Yuan had his reasons to do this, but that wasn't what was concerning her. The fact that Lloyd had just shouted and no-one in the room had even stirred, except her, was slightly more worrying. She doubted Yuan would cause the boy any real harm…at this point anyway.

The half-elf backed off and teleported himself from the room a moment later, leaving Lloyd to stare after him, confused and able to move again. Frowning, the boy got up and slid from the bed, glancing once over the rooms' occupants and strapping on his swords before heading outside. Raine followed quietly, watching as he left through the front door. She stopped at the window, peering out from inside.

Lloyd took in a breath as he left and Raine could just make out a renegade soldier standing by the door. Kratos and Yuan stood ahead of them, the taller man flanked by another two renegade soldiers.

"Kratos! The Renegades and Cruxis are enemies, aren't they?! So why?…" Lloyd wittered.

"Quiet," Yuan scolded, before turning away from the boy and tapping his chin thoughtfully "Of course, the drug should have everyone sleeping soundly."

Drug…so that was why nobody had woken except her. She had barely eaten anything at dinner so had only taken a little of the drug in, which had caused her nausea earlier. But it brought up a new question…how had Yuan gotten the drug into the food? It could only have been Altessa, Tabatha or whoever else had helped them out to prepare the food. She didn't recall who but she did remember Zelos being rather pushy about Lloyd in particular eating.

"Drug?!" Lloyd questioned, but it shook it off a moment later, clearly having more pressing issues on his mind "Where's my dad? If you've done anything to my dad, I'll tear every last one of you to pieces!"

"Now, now, is that the way to act when you're about to meet your father for the first time?"

Raine frowned. Yuan was obviously going to reveal to Lloyd that Kratos was his father…but for what purpose?

"So it was you," Kratos murmured lowly, staring hard at Yuan "You were the assassin who tried to kill me at Hima." He sounded almost…hurt by the suggestion.

Yuan, on the other hand, shrugged it off, ignoring the point completely.

"Kratos. If you value your son's life at all, do as we say."

"What are you…talking about?" Lloyd asked and Raine rolled her eyes.

"Release Origin's seal. Otherwise, Lloyd will die right here." Yuan commanded, staring straight at the other seraph.

Kratos' only reaction was to look up at his son and then back to Yuan. Raine wasn't sure whether to be angry at him for the lack of reaction, or commend him for it.

"No…" Lloyd breathed, having finally joined the dots. Raine swallowed thickly. She could hear the anguish in his voice in just that one word, but it was Kratos' reaction she was interested in. Lloyd's reaction was a given.

"Kratos can't be my dad," Lloyd protested "I can't believe that… I won't believe that!" he shook his head viciously.

Kratos' face remained impassive, but she noted the way he took in a breath, his dark eyes on his son. Yuan snorted and shook his head.

"How does it feel to have your own son reject you like that?"

Raine felt a sudden pang of hatred for Yuan but she supposed he had his reasons. Still…rubbing in an issue as sensitive as your child not accepting you…

Kratos, to his credit, did nothing but snort and change his gaze back to Yuan, his expression melding into something resembling faint distaste as he looked at him.

"I guess from your attitude, you don't plan on releasing Origin…" Yuan drawled. Kratos lifted an eyebrow in agreement. "If that's the way it's going to be, then you'll just have to die!"

Raine took a breath at the words…she knew Yuan would do whatever it took to get what he wanted done and killing Kratos wasn't beyond him.

In response to his leader's threat, one of the guards beside Lloyd pressed the tip of his blade to Lloyd's neck, looking to Kratos as the boy let out a noise of distress. Kratos straightened in response, lifting his head and looking over at his son, lips parting slightly.

"One move and your son dies!" The soldier threatened.

Yuan turned back to Kratos, approaching him slowly, head tilted as he seemed to study him.

"You changed once you got a family. Just like that time fifteen years ago. When Anna was transformed into a monster, you lost your ability to fight back."

Kratos narrowed his eyes at the blue haired man, mouth pressing into a grim line.

"If she hadn't been together with you, she would have never turned out like that. Such an unfortunate woman."

Lloyd finally lost it, shoving the guards out of the way as Kratos' face contorted, the expression of hatred suddenly disappearing as he noticed his son kicked, the boy falling to the ground and landing heavily. He pushed himself back up immediately, stalking towards Yuan, the spitting-image of his father as he growled out;

"Don't mock my mom!"

Yuan turned at the sounds of Lloyd's approaching voice, facing him just in time to see the teen wrenching his blade free. The seraph sidestepped the attack easily, lifting a hand and conjuring a ball of electricity to strike Lloyd with.

Raine watched, heart rising in her throat as the scene unfolded, watching Kratos' expression change into something akin to distress as he saw Yuan lift his hand to his son. In a heartbeat he was moving, dashing into the path of the electricity. It hit him squarely in the back, his face contorting in an expression of pain as he fell to his knees. Yuan took a step back in surprise.

"Kratos?" Lloyd asked, surprise evident in his voice and Raine had to admit, she was somewhat startled that he had made such a brash move and that he had made a choice at all.

"Are you alright?" Kratos asked, looking up into his son's face, smiling softly as he looked up at him, his voice quiet but warm "Good."

A second later, the seraph's eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed onto the rocky ground, head lolling to the side. Yuan stared down at him, his expression disbelieving and Raine swallowed thickly, hoping that the attack had only knocked him out.

Raine straightened, her mind made up. She always observed, never intervened and here Kratos, as stubborn as he was had just performed an out of character act…so couldn't she help her student as he let out a guttural scream of anguish, clutching his head in his hands. Resting her hand on the door handle she turned at a noise beside her, finding Colette at her elbow. Nodding at her, she pushed her way outside, she and Colette instantly being confronted with blades.

"Lloyd?" Colette asked as Raine looked over the scene, unable to take her eyes off Kratos. "What's wrong? What's going on?!"

"What am I…what am I supposed to believe?!"

"Lloyd, calm down." Raine stated calmly.

"It's not true!" he shouted "Kratos can't be… The man who betrayed us and made you suffer, he couldn't possibly be…my dad."

"Lloyd, don't lose sight of who you are," Colette urged "No matter who your parents are, no matter your background, you're still you!"

A somewhat obvious statement, Raine thought, but likely the sort of thing that would get through to him. The boy had to realise that just because his father was the last person he wished it to be, it didn't change who he himself was.

"I'm…me?"

"You're the one who told me that no matter what I look like, even if I become an angel, I'm still me…and don't forget, Kratos saved you."

Lloyd turned, looking to Raine, for her mature guidance in the matter. She nodded, signalling her agreement and Lloyd let a smile tug at the corner of his lips.

"Yeah, you're right."

The boy turned back to the man, approaching him and kneeling down to look into his face.

"Thanks."

Kratos, apparently still partly conscious, let out a breath in response.

"But I still can't call you Dad."

Colette sighed. "Lloyd…"

He ignored her, looking his father in the face as he continued to speak. "I hate what you…what Cruxis does." He corrected.

"Too many people have died. People from Sylvarant, people from Tethe'alla…Desians and Renegades and members of Cruxis… They're all victims. I refuse to accept the idea that it's ok to sacrifice people for a cause. It's not ok to lose your life. No life should be born for the sole purpose of dying. I won't sacrifice the world to save Colette. I'm not giving up until I find a way for everyone to live."

Kratos remained silent and still, Yuan looking down at the two, the harshness in his face seeming to have melted slightly. At least, until a voice announced itself.

"Wow, that was an amazingly corny speech. Congratulations."

Raine started. It sounded like Mithos. A moment later the young half-elf appeared in the doorway, his face less cordial than usual.

"Mithos?" Lloyd questioned, looking at boy over his shoulder before standing.

The blonde boy shoved his way past Colette and Raine, suddenly conjuring up a ball of energy in his hand, killing the two renegades guarding them, before turning to the two that had been guarding Kratos. Yuan took a step back, horror and disbelief playing over his face as he looked at the boy. Mithos turned his gaze on Yuan, lifting his hand to him, firing a shot that knocked the half-elf into the air. He collapsed heavily onto bare dirt, a cloud of it rising around him.

"Did you think I didn't notice what was going on?" Mithos asked, his voice holding contempt as he spoke, striding away from Raine and Colette. "How pathetic. I had Pronyma keep tabs on Kratos, since it seemed he was leaking information to Lloyd's group."

"Damn it! Yggdrasill!" Yuan cursed as he lifted his head "How the hell did you find out?"

Yggdrasill? Did Yuan know Mithos somehow?

"What?!" Lloyd barked.

"That was a pretty amusing scheme you had going," Mithos answered Yuan, striding towards him as the others stood aghast at his behaviour "Hard to believe those filthy Renegades that were always getting in my way were actually led by you. If it weren't for my sister's wishes to spare your life, I'd kill you right now."

A hard kick to Yuan's unprotected stomach followed the words and he nearly folded with the pain, a grunt escaping him, drowned out a moment later by Mithos' manic laughter and the onslaught of blows to his abdomen.

"Stop it!" Lloyd ordered, watching the act of cruelty "Wh…what are you?…"

He was interrupted by the door to Altessa's house opening, Genis, Presea, Altessa and Tabatha rushing out. Mithos' foot dropped to the floor and Yuan let out a grunt in relief, crawling away from the boy.

"What's going on?!" Altessa demanded.

Genis shook his head as he came to stand by Raine's side, looking at Mithos with distress.

"Mithos…so it's true…"

Raine looked down to her brother. What was true?

"What's true?" Mithos asked "That you shouldn't have trusted me? Good guess, Genis. Because I didn't trust you either!"

He spun fully a second later, releasing an attack that shot past the Sage siblings, aiming at Presea. Raine spun to look at the girl, just in time to see Altessa throw himself into the path of the attack. Just as Kratos had done for Lloyd. Altessa fell to the ground, unmoving. Raine collapsed to her knees beside him a moment later, trying to staunch the blood flow from his chest.

Tabatha looked at Mithos with confusion written over her mechanical features. "**Mithos…saved me…**"

"Shut up!!" He growled between clenched teeth, releasing a flurry of attacks at her. She flew back, slamming into the door and sliding down, lying prone on the floor.

"**Mithos…saved…me…Mithos…**"

"How could you do that?!" Raine shouted to the boy. The guiltless display of cruelty was something she couldn't understand, not in this way. Yuan…he had betrayed him, that was understandable if not acceptable but Tabatha and Altessa? "You even risked your life to save her!"

"Mithos, why?" Genis asked, his voice wavering under the threat of tears "Why are you doing this? How could you hurt Tabatha and Altessa? You got along so well with them!"

"Tabatha!" Mithos spat "That doll looks so disturbingly like my sister… I never could stand her! She's a failed vessel who couldn't accept my sister's soul! Just looking at her makes me sick!"

Raine's eyes narrowed but Lloyd strode looked to Mithos.

"You little bastard! How dare you betray my best friend!" A second later he was wrenching his blades free, throwing a demon fang at Mithos. It hit him, sending him stumbling back.

"Lloyd, stop!" Genis called "Please! You're both my friends!"

The world seemed to stand still to Raine as she took in that scene in that second. Altessa lay on the ground beside her, her hands pressed to his chest, soaking in his blood as the grey beard turned dark red with it. Tabatha lay a few metres from them, her mechanical body jerking, random words and syllables escaping lips as if she were having a fit. Mithos, the boy she had thought was trustworthy, glared at Lloyd with utter hatred, holding a hand to his chest, in pain and wounded. In the distance, Yuan lay on his side, curled up and gasping for breath, his eyes narrowed in pain and hatred. And in the centre of the entire scene lay Kratos on his back, unmoving, eyes closed.

Above them the sky was clear and pristine. Dark and studded with stars…perfect and beautiful.

The professor's spell of looking over the scene was broken a second later by the sudden appearance of the that Desian woman, Pronyma.

She approached Mithos.

"Lord Yggdrasill, your wounds are not yet healed. Please leave this to the angels."

Mithos straightened, nodding and transforming into his adult form, his childish voice throwing the body of a grown man.

"Alright." He agreed.

He disappeared in a flash of light, glaring around at the group as he did so, taking Kratos with him as Pronyma followed them back to Derris-Kharlan. Three low level angels appeared in their place and Lloyd, Genis, Colette and Presea threw themselves into battle against them.

Raine turned from Altessa, glancing to Tabatha, dashing into the house to retrieve her staff, leaving a bloody handprint on the wooden door, Regal waking and rushing out with her.

When she returned to the outside, the angels had been dispatched as she fell beside Altessa, holding her staff over him, casting healing spells. Genis, Colette and Presea rejoining her but unable to do anything to help. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lloyd approach Yuan, crouching down beside the man who was clutching his stomach.

"You planned to form the pact with Origin and use the Eternal Sword." Lloyd stated, and Raine looked over to the two. Yuan was pushing himself up into a crouch.

"And then, we would use the Mana Cannon to destroy that infernal tower, allowing the Great Seed to sprout. That was our plan. Upon learning of your existence from a Desian insider. I was certain I would be able to force Kratos to participate." Yuan finished.

"You…didn't approve of Mithos' Age of Half-elves?"

Yuan shook his head, his expression softening slightly as he thought of Martel.

"That plan was the result of a twisted perception of Martel's last wish. It's not what she truly desired. She said she wanted to see a world free from discrimination."

The half-elf shook his head before standing. Lloyd put his hands out in concern.

"You shouldn't move."

"No, there's no time. I must evacuate the Renegades before they are killed by Yggdrasill."

Lloyd nodded as the man began to walk away slowly, before calling out to him again.

"Is Kratos really the only one who can release Origin's seal?"

"Yes. The seal will be released upon freeing the mana from his body."

"If he does that, he's likely to lose his life." Regal commented.

"Kratos'…life… Are you saying we have to trade his life in order to get the Eternal Sword?!"

Yuan turned to meet the boy squarely in the eye with his own gaze "Lloyd. You won't be able to use the Eternal Sword. It does not require the power of a summoner. You must merely be acknowledged by Origin. However, there is one thing you cannot do anything about."

"What do you mean? Yggdrasill…Mithos said that, too."

"Only half-elves can wield it. That sword was created by Origin for Mithos."

Before Lloyd could say another word the Renegade leader nodded to the group, pulling his wings out and taking to the air, his flight somewhat less steady that usual.

Lloyd shook his head, traipsing back over to the rest of the group, his face drawn in thought and worry. It was as he approached that Altessa opened his eyes, looking at the boy as he drew near.

"Lloyd…"

"Don't talk," Lloyd replied automatically "Don't push yourself." His voice sounded hollow as he spoke.

"Altessa saved me! Please, Professor! Please save him!" Colette begged.

"I'm doing everything I can." She answered steadily, pulling more strongly on the mana to form a healing spell.

It was only when she had stopped the steady blood flow that she stood and backed away, motioning for Regal to move him inside. The former convict lifted the dwarf easily, carrying himself inside the house and to his bed. Raine staggered inside wearily, looking back to the sky outside. She wasn't sure how long they had been outside but she felt utterly exhausted as she washed the blood from her hands.

The best thing the group could do now was try and get as much rest as possible and keep an eye on Altessa until the morning and she grudgingly let Regal push her back to a bed whilst he went to check on Altessa. Raine frowned as she entered the room. The others were climbing into bed, Sheena leaving to join Regal in his vigil over Altessa but Zelos…was still sound asleep and seemed to have been for the entire ordeal. Shaking her head, she crawled into bed, her mind full of worry over Lloyd and Altessa…

--

The sun was in the sky when Raine forced herself to leave her bed and check on Altessa. The dwarf was alive but far from stable and she cast another spell over him as Regal and Sheena left to rouse the others. They met outside the house, waiting anxiously for news of the dwarf.

"Is Altessa…going to be all right?" Presea asked.

"I managed to administer first aid using the Unicorn Horn, but we should bring a doctor as soon as we can." She answered.

"Yeah, unlike us, Altessa isn't using an Exsphere. Healing arts won't be very effective." Zelos added. Raine turned a suspicious gaze on him. Apparently someone had briefed him on what had happened over the course of the night.

"I know a good doctor. We called him from Flanoir when our chief suffered a serious injury." Sheena answered.

"I'll stay and watch over Altessa." Presea suggested, her voice tight with worry. Raine agreed. Altessa shouldn't be alone in his condition.

Lloyd nodded "Alright…So, Flanoir, huh? Let's go."

--

The trip to Flanoir seemed to last about two seconds, although the sun's position factually informed the group that it had, in fact, been a few hours.

Snow swirled around them in its usual haze as they descended towards the snowy city, touching down outside the city walls before packing the rheairds away and heading inside. It was only once they were within the walls that they noticed that Zelos was not among the group. Raine frowned, a seemingly common expression to grace her face these days. But what was he up to now? She was getting the distinct impression that Zelos was not what he seemed. The mysterious midnight meeting he had had with someone not long after they had met, the way he had wandered off in the Renegade's Flanoir base and now this…

Still, they had other things to worry about for the moment, such as getting that doctor to Altessa. She would confront Tethe'alla's Chosen when he had resurfaced.

They climbed the steps up to the doctor's clinic, Sheena boldly leading the way, rubbing her arms to keep herself warm as she made her way through the city. It was as they were approaching the desired building that a familiar flame of carmine red hair came into view, so bright amongst the pale snow that Raine wondered how the chosen didn't try and cover himself from sticking out so much. But then…that was never Zelos' style.

However, standing alone in the middle of a crowded city, and seemingly speaking to himself wasn't his usual style either.

Lloyd walked up to the other male, tapping him on the shoulder, but Raine swore she heard the word 'Aionis' among the red-heads mutterings.

"Lloyd, you're late!" Zelos stated as the boy tapped him on the shoulder "The hospital's right here. Come on, hurry up."

He pointed to the door and Raine, lifting an eyebrow at the man, followed the two inside, the rest of the group squeezing their way in as Sheena addressed the doctor.

"It's an emergency! We have someone who's about to die." She was shouting, arms flailing as she explained to the physician.

"Oh, my, it sounds like things aren't quiet and peaceful."

"Stop standing there chatting and hurry up and get ready to go!" Lloyd snapped, clearly not happy with the man's flippant attitude.

"It'll cost you." He responded flatly.

"How can you talk about money at a time like this?!"

"We'll pay anything! So please, hurry…" Sheena urged. Time was not exactly on their side and there was only Presea watching over Altessa.

"Let's make it payment upon success. First, I need to see the patient. Travel expenses and hazard pay will be billed separately."

"Fine! Whatever!" Lloyd interrupted again, his motions becoming somewhat frantic.

"Then please give me an escort. Let's see…the three of you will be good." The doctor stated, gesturing to Genis, Sheena and Regal.

"We'll borrow the rheairds for a bit." Genis stated before leaving with the others. Raine lifted an eyebrow at the fact that she had not been asked to go…but then, she was of no more use now…and she could rather do with some time to sit and reflect…and to speak to Lloyd and Zelos. In fact…the arrangements had worked out quite nicely.

Lloyd watched the others leave with bemusement. "Uh…ok….we'll just wait here."

"Ah come on, we'll go get some rooms at the hotel and chill for the day, bud." Zelos stated, slapping Lloyd in the arm before walking out into the snow. Raine followed the man slowly, Lloyd and Colette following behind her. Snowflakes settled onto her hair and eyelashes instantly as she stepped outside into the white swirls and she shook her head, dislodging them as they headed for the Olive Village to book their rooms and for a hot meal.

--

Light was fading from the sky when Raine, having napped and eaten a decent meal, finally decided it was time to speak with Lloyd and Zelos. Both males had disappeared some time ago, Lloyd understandably distracted by the events of last night and Zelos…well she would have assumed that he was chatting up some poor naïve girl, were it not for his recent behaviour.

Rising from the armchair she had been sitting in, she headed for Lloyd's stay room. The fact that everyone now knew the man was Lloyd's father made no difference to her but Lloyd was still shaken up. She supposed, knowing a little more about the man, it was her job to try and help put the boy at ease.

Heading out of her room and locking it behind her, she paced down the corridor, knocking on Lloyd's door when she came across it. Knocking on it, she waited for an answer, but received none. Trying the door handle, she found the room to be locked and frowned, instead trying Zelos' and finding it in the same state. With both males out, she tried Colette's room, finding the girl to be inside, drawing a picture of a puppy.

"Oh, Professor!" she turned to the teacher.

"Colette…have you seen Lloyd and Zelos?"

"Of course. Lloyd's my friend and Zelos is the chosen."

"No…Colette I mean, have you seen them recently, do you know where they are?"

"Oh. Yes, they said they were going out for a walk to look at the snow."

"I see. Thank you."

"Professor!" Colette called as the half-elf turned to leave.

"Yes, Colette?"

"…Do you think Lloyd's ok?"

"I'm sure he will be. He just needs some time to adjust to the knowledge."

"But…I don't think it makes a difference…and I think, despite everything…Mr. Kratos is a good person."

Raine smiled. "Perhaps you're right…I'm going to find Lloyd and try and speak to him. I'll be back in a little while, Colette."

She closed the door behind her as she left, heading down the light corridors with the dark wood floors, walking downstairs and out into the dark night. Mana lamps cast orange glows over soft white snow and Raine drew her coat tighter about her against the chill as she began to walk through the city. There was almost no one outside and so it was when she heard voices, muffled by the falling snow, she knew she had found the two males. They were standing upon the balcony just in front of the cathedral, staring out across the city together.

"Don't make fun of what I'm saying. Tomorrow, once we're sure that Altessa is ok, I'm going to challenge Mithos to a final battle. But if that's the way you feel, I'll be too worried to bring you along." Lloyd was saying, an edge to his voice as he spoke.

"You're going to fight? Do you really think you can unite the worlds?" Zelos asked.

"I can and I will. I'm not going to run away."

"All right, all right, I hear ya. I swear, your fervent enthusiasm is enough to melt all the snow in Flanoir. …I'm in. I guess I'll give this not running away thing a shot."

"Once the world is at peace, you can run away all you like."

"Gee, thanks," Zelos snarked, turning away from Lloyd "Man, I can't believe I'm joining the weaker side. This isn't like me at all."

Lloyd, having just caught Zelos' words frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself. Anyway, I'm going back. It's way too cold out here." Zelos stated.

"I'm…going to stay out here for a while." Lloyd murmured and Zelos headed off, leaving him alone to think.

Raine sighed. Zelos' comment really did mean she would have to talk to him, but something compelled her to stay and speak to the boy first. She loitered beneath the balcony for a moment, mentally preparing the points she wanted to make to the boy and she was about to step out and join him, when a familiar voice stopped her.

"Lloyd."

Kratos. The man had, somehow, made his way up to his son without the woman noticing. She stilled beneath the balcony. It really wasn't the sort of talk she should listen to…but if Kratos talked to Lloyd, it meant she might not have to.

It seemed a positive start that the boy accepted Kratos' presence seemingly without as problem.

"Did you know I was your son the whole time?" he asked as his father approached.

"I realized it when I found Anna's grave at your house."

"How did Mom die? You know, don't you?"

Kratos paused for a moment and she wondered if he was letting any emotions slip across his face in that moment.

"Like Presea, Anna was a research subject of the Angelus Project. They were trying to create a Cruxis Crystal inside her body. When I learned of Mithos' plan to create an Age of Lifeless Beings, I turned against him and descended upon this land, where I met Anna."

Lloyd made a musing noise.

"After meeting Anna, I realized my mistake in believing that accepting Mithos' vision would be the fastest route to reunite the worlds. I began to search for a way for a human to wield the Eternal Sword."

"So you can unite the worlds?" Understanding was beginning to seep into Lloyd's voice, an inkling that his father wasn't quite as bad a man as he had originally thought. Kratos acted on his own will and reasons, hidden behind the guise of serving Mithos' will.

"However, Anna and I were pursued by Cruxis. We travelled from place to place, and when you were born, with you as well, but we were finally caught by Kvar."

"And then Mom was turned into a monster…"

"Her Exsphere was removed," Kratos explained "Lacking a Key Crest, the mana in her body went out of control, and she turned into a monster…When it tried to devour you, Noishe protected you, and Anna regained control of herself…momentarily."

"Noishe saved me?"

"That's probably when Noishe became sensitive to monsters. Noishe and Anna are both wounded… Your mother begged me to kill her."

His voice dropped, sorrow and hatred sliding into his voice as he spoke.

"I've heard enough." Lloyd warned, knowing where the conversation was going.

"Anna went out of control again and turned on you. Then I…" Kratos continued on, ignoring Lloyd's warning, his voice picking up in speed and emotion as he no doubt envisaged that day in his mind once again. Raine wondered how many times those scenes had played through his head.

"That's enough!" Lloyd snapped, voice raising in anger.

"I…killed her." the older man finished, letting his voice drop again, the shame so evident that Raine herself thought she might be able to feel it.

"I said, that's enough!" Lloyd's voice was just as thick with emotion as his father's now, grief and anger colouring it. No child wanted to hear about their parent's death, especially in such a cruel twist.

"After that, Kvar attacked, then you and Noishe fell down the cliff along with the Exsphere. …I fought off Kvar and his men, and descended the cliff, but all that was left were the Desian corpses, half-eaten by monsters. …I thought there was no way you could still be alive." His voice finally broke with the emotions driving his words, and Raine could hear the snow crunch as one of the males shifted their weight uncomfortably.

"Is that when you returned to Cruxis?" Lloyd asked tentatively.

The question seemed to focus Kratos' attention again, distracting him from the painful memories, for when he spoke again, there was the familiar purpose and authority in his voice.

"I am the Origin seal itself. Since killing me would break the seal, Yggdrasill couldn't just leave me alone."

"And you were ok with that? Even though you opposed what he was doing?!"

"Everything felt meaningless." Kratos answered.

It was the kind of phrase that would normally have Raine seething, such a petty emotion driven answer…weak-willed and weak-minded…but she suddenly thought of her mother. The desolation she had felt after facing the woman who she felt had abandoned her…how she felt that she could simply not move for thoughts and emotions for a while. True that in the end she had managed to get up, where Kratos never seemed to have, but…she had not been as reliant on her mother as she had thought. Anna, on the other hand, was probably the only source of true love and support that Kratos had had in centuries…she couldn't really blame him for it, even if she knew it was wrong.

"Mithos said he would reunite the worlds as soon as Martel was revived. I came to think that as long as the land would return to normal, that would be enough… Until I met you."

"Me?" Lloyd asked.

"You remind me of Mithos. Just like you, Mithos was desperately trying to save the world. He didn't give up. No matter how much he was oppressed, he was hopeful…until the day Martel was killed."

"A hero…that's what people called him."

"Yes, but there is a clear difference between you and Mithos… You realize that you are capable of making mistakes. Or rather, if you make a mistake, you are capable of acknowledging it. That takes courage. Mithos, as well as I…were unable to do that."

"The courage to acknowledge one's mistakes…"

"We were incapable of correcting our flawed path. We gave up on correcting our mistakes. You didn't give up."

"If you feel that way, then you must have realized it by now! Mistakes can be corrected. It's not too late. Let's look for a way to release Origin without sacrificing your life…together."

"I still have something I must do. Until I am able to entrust it to you, I cannot fight alongside you."

"Something you have to do?"

"The Eternal Sword. Until I am able to entrust it to you…do not die, Lloyd."

The voices trailed off and snow crunched beneath boots as one of the two, most likely Kratos, began to walk away. He stopped when Lloyd called to him.

"Kratos! Where are you going?"

"Do not allow Yggdrasill to continue as he pleases. He is capable of sacrificing any number of lives. Stop Yggdrasill…stop Mithos…before Colette is taken from you again."

The footsteps started off again and Raine retreated into the shadows as Kratos headed down past her hiding place. She took in a breath, it seemed that she wouldn't be needing to speak to Lloyd about Kratos after all. Lingering in the shadows for a moment, she waited until she heard Lloyd leave the balcony before she thought about heading back. She didn't want him to think she didn't trust him to come out here on his…or that she had been eavesdropping on his private conversations.

Once she was sure he had walked far enough away for her to begin her own walk back without being noticed, she opened her eyes and stepped out of the shadows on to the soft, freshly fallen snow…only to find her way blocked by Kratos' imposing figure.

* * *

Hope it was good. Next chapter will see a lot more of the Kratos and Raine interaction as well as all the exciting Zelos' reveally bits (and maybe some other revelations). I'm not sure how many more chapters there are left but I'm guessing...4-ish but we'll have to see how the writing takes me.

Once again, hope you enjoyed it :)


	38. Trust

A.N: Apologies for the lateness of the update of this chapter. I have been very busy as of late but you'll all be pleased to know that I have finished with exams and can know devote more of my time to this.

Anyhoo, on with the chapter you've been waiting for.

Enjoy!

* * *

Trust

He was potentially the most out-of-place person in the city, Raine thought as she looked up into Kratos' stony face. The snow around them was pure white, glistening and shimmering, gathering atop hair and shoulders and eyelashes. The glow of lamps was a gentle, warm yellow and the sky, grey as it was, had the air of something warm and cosy about it…as if it were rolls of cotton wool or a thick, rumpled blanket wrapped about the city.

Kratos…was harsh. The lines of his body sharp and diamond cut, his tall figure clothed in black, his dark hair flame red in contrast to the soft purity about them, his garnet eyes staring down at her. Fire amongst ice.

He spoke first, his rich voice tapered with irritation.

"Do you often listen in on others' private conversations?"

"I…was only keeping an eye on Lloyd," She answered quickly "He's been through a lot and your appearance could have easily sent him off the rails."

Kratos paused, looking down at the woman before letting his shoulders drop from their stiff posture, his body relaxing slightly.

"Has he…?"

"Has he what? Been ok since he found out you're his father?"

The seraph nodded.

"He's coping…coming to terms with it quickly, even if he doesn't want to accept it yet. He still accepts you though…I think he still has faith in you."

"I see."

"You should've told him sooner."

"He shouldn't have found out at all." Kratos answered sharply.

"Why were you so desperate to stop him finding out you're his father?"

"…Because it would make things easier on him, if he didn't know."

She paused thinking about it for a moment, back to Altessa's house…what Yuan had said.

"You're Origin's seal. If Lloyd wishes to wield the Eternal sword…"

"Then, as its guardian, he must defeat me. Whether I am killed outright, or am forced to release the mana in my body…I will die." Kratos finished for her, his voice flat.

"And if he still thought of you as just a man who had betrayed us… it would be easier. I understand but…he still has a right to know who his real parents are."

"He knows now," Kratos pointed out "And the information has not yet proved to benefit him."

Raine sighed inwardly. Kratos had a point…but Lloyd still needed to know who he was and his blood relatives were part of that. Now more than ever, his ability to understand himself and his abilities were of the utmost importance to this quest of theirs.

Still…it was of little matter now why Kratos didn't want him to know. She shook her head, glancing over to the man standing beside her and taking in a breath before blowing it out in a plume of soft whiteness. He was staring dead ahead at the darkness before them cast by the shadow of the balcony, a snowflake settling on the tip of his nose before melting at the heat of his skin. She wondered if he was thinking about the conversation he had just had with Lloyd…about the memories it had stirred, but she hadn't the confidence to ask, so instead, she stepped out into the freshly fallen snow, from under the shelter of the balcony, striding up to the look out. She had not yet had a chance to take in the city in its full beauty and she was beginning to realise that she should appreciate these simple things. If they saved the world, it would all change. If they didn't…then there wouldn't be a future.

Placing her hands on the frosted stone rail she leaned out to look at the picture perfect city before her, feeling tiny crystals melting beneath her slender fingers. A moment later, Kratos appeared at her side.

"…Did you know Yggdrasill was living with Altessa, pretending to be Mithos'?" she asked as he mirrored her position.

"I did. But there was little I could do about it."

"You could have warned us."

"Would you have believed me if I had told you?"

"True…but…"

"I imagine Genis isn't taking it well."

Raine looked up at the other. "No…he isn't. Why did you think that though?"

"Yggdrasill mentioned him on occasion. I think perhaps if they had been born and raised in similar times then they could have made quite an unstoppable duo."

"They would have worked well together, yes. It doesn't matter now though. Ifs and buts don't make a difference. We have to make do with what we have and what's given to us."

"Indeed. We must make the most of our time."

Raine cocked an eyebrow. "But at your age you should already know that."

Garnet eyes slid down to her. "I was wondering if that would be brought up."

"Well…what did you expect? It isn't everyday someone finds out their former lover is over four thousand years old."

"Does it trouble you?"

She paused for a moment. "Not as much as I feel it should do. Age is…irrelevant in such matters, though it does throw into question the state of your mind, that you choose such a young person compared to yourself."

"Anna was not much older than you are now when we met and fell in love. And I am not going to meet someone of my age now."

"Whilst that second part is true…it still doesn't put me at any ease that you still choose such young people."

"You said it yourself. Age is irrelevant. And I don't believe that I have ever chosen to fall in love with someone. It is one of those matters which I, like everyone else, has no control over."

A slow smile spread over Raine's lips at the words. He was starting to think of himself in a different way…as a person, not just an angel or a member of Cruxis. He was remembering that he had his own mind, his own voice and thoughts and while it had always been there, hidden under the surface he was starting to act like he was alive again. A human and not a droid.

"So where do we go from here?" she asked after a moment.

"How do you mean?"

"All the truths are coming out…but I am still doubtful that I know what to do know, and if it's right to do…if I have all the facts."

"Follow Lloyd's lead. You may not realise it, but he likely holds the answers to those questions you have, though he'll never be competent at voicing them."

"…You're proud of him aren't you?"

The seraph didn't answer, but the fact that he had so much faith in his son to do the right thing just proved it to her.

"I have things I must do…before I can make a decision and follow it through," Kratos stated, thinking back to the previous topic "But…I will aid you all I can, though I must hide it and at some point, my goals will be antagonistic to yours. You will simply have to believe in your own strengths when those times come."

Raine shook her head. "You need to pick a side, Kratos, and quickly or else someone will pick it for you."

"I…have made my choice. I cannot reveal it here, and I hope that it is the correct choice…but my mind is all but decided."

"Good. Maybe you can stop confusing us with your actions then."

Kratos snorted in quiet amusement. "I believe that it may simply be my nature that is confusing, not just my decisions, or lack thereof."

"Well, we'll see about that."

Raine stopped, the conversation ended and she idly put out a hand to catch a snowflake, watching one melt as it touched the warm skin of her hand. Her fingertips, however, were red with cold and Kratos put his hand out to hers, turning it over and examining the skin on the back of her hand. It was grey. Shaking his head he closed his hand around hers, his fingers slipping between hers.

"What are you doing?" She asked quietly.

Kratos lifted an eyebrow. "Your hands are cold. You should take better care of yourself…or at least allow someone else to do it for you."

He tugged on her hand slightly, pulling her closer to him.

"Do you think this a good idea?" she asked.

"Do you think it a bad idea…do you deny wanting this?"

"…I won't deny that part of me wishes to trust you again. But…you need to prove yourself to me before I can consider that." She pulled her hand from his and stuffed it inside her pocket. "I can keep myself warm for now. I need to know that you can be a reliable heat source in future before I can let you do this. I won't go through the betrayal again."

Kratos nodded slowly. "I see. I cannot blame you for that mindset. Will you consider me still though?"

"Not until you prove yourself."

"Then…may I at least give you a gesture of what is to come if I prove myself?"

She inclined her head slightly, dislodging white snowflakes that lay on silvered hair. "You may."

A flicker of a smile crossed his lips as he neared her, bending his head as she lifted hers to meet his, the tips of cold noses brushing briefly before warm lips touched for a gentle, fleeting moment. Kratos pulled away after a moment and Raine let her fall from her stance on tip-toes back to normal height, looking up at him again.

She nodded. "I may just be able to cope with that in future."

Kratos snorted again, back suddenly to the authoritive commander, softness gone. "Says the woman who molested me last time we met for any considerable length of time."

She cleared her throat "I…I would rather we didn't speak of that."

"As you wish," Kratos responded "but remember that you have to take responsibility for your actions."

"I'm younger than you Kratos, but that still doesn't make me a child."

"A reminder doesn't hurt. At any rate, I…have matters to attend to."

"You're leaving so soon?"

"I have done what I set out to do tonight, and it is in both of our interests that I do not linger whilst our differences are not fully resolved. I'll see you again soon, no doubt."

"Alright. Then….take care, Kratos." She murmured, surprised that the words came unbidden to her lips.

Kratos nodded. "And you."

And with that he turned and walked away, footprints left behind him as he disappeared into the white haze of the snow. Raine stood for a moment more, watching him go, until her fingertips began to tingle from the cold and she took a breath before beginning to walk back to the inn. She stopped when she reached the steps, turning to look back at the cathedral and she could swear that for a split second she saw a red haired figure atop a spire, looking out over the city, a spray of gold light behind it.

Which was odd…Kratos' wings were blue…but perhaps she had mistaken some of the yellow light emanating from the cathedral as a pair of angelic wings. Shrugging, she put it to the back of her mind before she returned to the inn and heading to the inn, taking pleasure in the warmth as she entered the building and made her way to bed.

--

Raine was woken late into the morning back a gentle shaking and she rolled over, blinking blearily as she woke, finding her brother at her bedside.

"Genis?"

"You need to get up Raine. It's late and Lloyd's already up…he's going on about how today's the day, or something."

Wiping the sleep from her eyes she nodded. "Alright, I'll meet you downstairs."

She bathed and dressed as quickly as she could before heading down into the reception of the inn and, finding no-one there, pushed outside into the blindingly white scenery of Flanoir.

The rest of the group stood assembled before her and as she greeted them she realised something was not quite right with the town this morning. Raine looked up. The sky was clear blue and no snow was falling.

How odd.

"He somehow managed to recover," Genis stated, clearly in answer to something Lloyd had asked, and Raine guessed it was about Altessa's fate. "Some people from Mizuho are watching over him just in case."

"Good," Lloyd stated, clenching his fist and Raine noticed a slim gold chain hanging out of the boy's palm. She wondered where he had got that…and if he was hiding it on purpose. "I need to speak with everyone. The world is never gonna change if we just wait for Cruxis to make the next move, right? So this time, we're going to strike them first."

"Well, so you're finally ready to do it!" Zelos commented loudly, sounding both pleased and worried. "We're gonna raid Cruxis!"

"I have two objectives, prevent the establishment of Mithos' new Age…and release Origin."

"But if you release Origin, what about Kratos?" Genis asked.

Raine wondered if anyone, other than her, knew that Kratos and Lloyd had spoken last night. Clearly what Kratos had said had had an effect on the boy.

"We don't know for certain that he'll actually die. We also don't know if he'll side with us or not. We don't have the time to worry about things we're not sure of."

"What do you intend to do about the Eternal Sword?" The professor asked. As much as even Kratos had faith in Lloyd to do this, even he couldn't deny this was a problem. "Even if you break Origin's seal, you can't wield it, remember? And I doubt either Genis or I would be able to handle a sword…"

"Don't worry about that. I've got it covered." Zelos answered casually.

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd asked. Raine, too, was intrigued as to why Zelos thought it wouldn't be an issue for him.

"Why do you think I can use magic swords? I received magic injections with the latest in Tethe'alla technology."

Which was…odd and really quite suspicious in Raine's opinion.

"In other words, I'm a human with elven blood in me. That should work, shouldn't it?"

"Then I guess this will be the final battle." Raine nodded.

"Understood. Let us end this." Presea stated.

"…For the sake of uniting the worlds." Regal added, smiling faintly.

Lloyd smiled at the group before turning to Colette, his grin fading.

"Colette…I need you to stay behind."

The chosen, understandably, looked confused, concerned and saddened at the request.

"Why?"

"They want you as Martel's vessel. We'll have either Mizuho or the Renegades hide you."

Colette shook her head. "No, I'm going, too!"

"But…" Lloyd protested, before Zelos cut in with a snort.

"I get it. You don't think you can protect her. That is so sad…"

Lloyd stared at the red-head incredulously as he wandered over to the blonde and slung an arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Colette! I, the great Zelos, swear to protect you!"

"Zelos!" Lloyd barked warningly.

"Take her along, Lloyd. They're gonna be after her no matter where she is. You ought to know that by now. Be a man, show her what you're made of!"

"Wow, we actually have the same opinion for once," Sheena shook her head. "Sorry, Lloyd, but I agree with Zelos this time."

Lloyd sighed, his shoulders dropping. He knew they were right.

"All right, Colette will come with us, ok?"

With the plan settled the group quickly geared up and ate before leaving the city to mount the rheairds. It was as Raine was mounting hers that she noticed Lloyd and Zelos hanging behind and she frowned suspiciously as Zelos broke away from Lloyd to mount his own rheaird, flashing a grin at her as he did.

Lloyd rubbed at his neck, toying with something under his collar as he walked at a more casual pace to join the others. He sent a shaky smile at Raine as he climbed onto his own vehicle before leading them up into the cloudless sky.

--

The area around the tower of salvation was…eerily deserted as they landed, no monsters present in the nearby bushes and Raine felt concerned about the lack of wildlife as they approached the structure, Lloyd leading the way.

The reason was revealed soon enough, with the appearance of three angels at the doorway to the tower. Lloyd spun on the spot and dashed back down the stairs immediately. To the group's surprise, Yuan was standing at the bottom, his face stern.

"Lloyd! This way!" He called, standing before a hidden passage in the rock and the group rushed towards him, dashing inside.

They stopped a little way in, glancing outside for signs of any angels. There didn't appear to be any.

"Why are you helping us?" Lloyd asked.

"Now that the truth about me is known to Yggdrasill, the only way left to save Martel is to work with you. Don't think that I want to be your friend or anything." Yuan snapped.

Raine rolled her eyes as Lloyd commented on Yuan's attitude before thanking him and leading the group away. The professor let her eyes linger on Yuan for a moment and he nodded to her before teleporting out of the passage, leaving her to catch up with the others.

The passage, as it turned out, led straight into the chamber that held the eternal sword, and Raine had to guess that this was the purpose of those great arcs of rock. Emergency entrances or exits to the earth.

"Leave this to me." Zelos stated against as they approached the place where they had fought Yggdrasill only a few days before…actually, this room held a lot of memories for them. Most pertaining to betrayal in one way or another…

"Leave it to you? What are you gonna do?" Sheena asked.

"I figured something like this might happen, so I prepared a little something the last time we were here."

He took a few more steps forward before turning back to them again, grinning in his usual manic way.

"Colette, come here for a second."

"Hmm? Oh…ok." Colette answered, trotting up to join Zelos.

Raine's brow creased. Something felt wrong with Zelos…something told her to get Colette away from him, and she opened her mouth to try and do just that when she was cut off by the appearance of three angels and the leader of the Desian Grand Cardinals, Pronyma.

"Good work, chosen. Now, bring her to me!" Pronyma ordered and Zelos smiled.

"Sure thing."

Raine felt her heart seize in her chest, the others bristling around her as they too realised what was going on. She had been right. This room only held memories of betrayal for them…what was it with red-haired men with ancient Greek names?

"Zelos!!" Genis shouted.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Sheena demanded.

Zelos' face contorted into a scowl as a magic circle lifted Colette to Pronyma's level.

"Oh shut up," he snapped, and Sheena jerked as though she'd been slapped. "I'm just putting myself on the winning side. What you're trying to do is hopeless and meaningless. What's the big deal? Colette wanted to be a sacrifice, remember?"

Anger rippled around the group.

"Zelos! You traitor!" Lloyd shouted.

"Oh, give it a rest, Lloyd. Did you forget what I said in Flanoir? I side with the strongest."

"Betray you?" Pronyma chuckled from up on high "How amusing. Zelos was our spy from the very beginning. Isn't that right, Zelos?"

"It's not true, is it? Please say that she's lying…" Colette pleaded.

"I side with the strongest," he answered simply "It was a simple matter of weighing the Renegades, Cruxis, and all of you."

"You were leaking information to the Renegades, too?!" Sheena barked "I can't believe you! You were always a pervert, but I never doubted that you were a good person when it came down to it."

"Why, thank you, my sweet, voluptuous hunny," lechery dripped from every word "But in the end, I choose this side, because Mithos promised to release me from my fate as a Chosen of Mana."

"You hate being the Chosen so much that you would betray your friends?" Regal growled.

"Oh, yeah, I do. It's because of that title that my life has been a total joke. I can't stand it. I can't wait for Seles to become the Chosen instead."

"…You're lying! I still trust you, you hear me?! You're the one that told me I could trust you!" Lloyd shouted.

"What are you, stupid?" Zelos snorted before transporting himself up to the Desian Grand Cardinal's level. "Let's get going Lady Pronyma."

Light glowed brighter around their feet in a large circle, threatening to whisk Colette away at any second and she stared wide eyed at the group, falling to her knees and extending a hand towards her friends, her voice echoing around the room even as she disappeared.

"Lloyd, Lloyd….Lloyd!"

A moment later there were angels descending on them, the leader hissing lowly at them.

"Disappear unto nothingness…"

Lloyd wrenched his blades free from the scabbards slung by his hips and Raine tensed, knuckles whitening around the shaft of her staff. They didn't need this fight. They needed to get into Derris-Kharlan and tear Yggdrasill off his high and mighty throne.

It was as Lloyd made a move to launch himself into battle without a second, or even first, thought that shadowy figures burst forth before them, smoke clearing to reveal dark figures of the ninjas of Mizuho.

Raine's eyebrows lifted as Sheena dashed forwards.

"Everyone! What are you doing here?"

Seconds later they were in battle, Orochi's voice drowned out by clashing metal, cards dancing through the air until their enemies were decimated before them.

"Why are you all here?" Sheena asked once the air had cleared.

"We received a message saying that you were about to head to the final battle. Right now, you must hurry and save Colette."

"Right. Let's go guys!" Lloyd ordered, sliding his swords back into their scabbards before leading the group to the teleporter that would let them break into the base.

It was a miserable place it took them to…dull red walls that were cracked and warped, roots and weeds growing out of huge cracks that had formed in the walls. The only light came from sparsely placed mana lamps and Raine had to guess that they were deep under the Tower of Salvation. Tapping her staff against the floor, she called up a spell so that it would emit a little extra light for them as they walked.

The passages before them split into three and after a brief exploration of the area revealed two were dead ends they headed up the middle passage, making their way through a dark doorway quickly, staying close together.

Like everything that seemed to surround this whole situation of saving the split worlds, the path ahead was not as simple as it first seemed and Raine had a sense of dread as Lloyd brashly pulled them deeper into the dungeons. After some time she found it simply too much of a topic to keep to herself and she quietly called Regal to walk alongside her.

"What is it, Professor?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the most rational of this group. I have an uneasy feeling about this situation and…I think we need to prioritise who will get to the end of this…"

"I see. That is likely the sort of talk that would anger Lloyd. Though, I do agree…"

Lloyd glanced behind him at the sounds of low, hushed voices. Regal and the Professor were talking quietly to each other, gradually calling the other members of the group back to speak with them. He opened his mouth to speak when he saw Genis staring worriedly at his older sister but nod determinedly a moment later.

"Lloyd, pay attention, there's a teleporter up ahead." Raine called sharply to the boy.

The call forced him to look forwards and step up onto the teleporter. The room it carried him into was a vast, high-ceilinged vault. Cloisters were set into the walls, row on row, and each hollow filled with a seemingly slumbering angel warrior.

The teen glanced around at them uneasily as the others filtered in behind them, pointing upwards. Raine took in a breath. If they woke up…then the six of them combined wouldn't be enough to stop them.

"Lloyd," Raine stepped forwards "Let's go. Quickly and quietly. We can't afford to wake them."

The boy nodded, stepping forwards as quietly as possible, leading the group through the room. Not quietly enough though, for when they were half way across a bell told from somewhere above them, stirring the sleeping warriors into life.

Heads snapped upwards simultaneously as the angels descended on them.

"Here they come!" Regal warned, sinking into a battle stance as the first volley of angels approached.

They cut them down with relative ease, leaving heaps of bloodied limbs and feathers in their wake. And still the angels continued to descend on them, more replacing those that had just fallen. Lloyd wrenched his head upwards.

"Dammit, there's no end in sight!"

Regal spun to face the boy, catching sight of something behind him.

"Make a break for that passage!"

"Alright." Lloyd agreed, turning and sprinting for the corridor. Raine ran behind him, urging the others on, ensuring that they had made it into the passage before she turned and glanced to Regal. He nodded, just once and she swallowed thickly.

The last thing she saw of him was a leg swinging up, smashing through the bases of pillars that held the tunnel open.

"Regal!" Lloyd called, pressing himself to the rubble, peering through a gap.

"I'll hold them off here," Regal answered calmly "Now hurry on!"

"You know I can't leave you behind!"

"There's no time, you know that. You're the only one who can save Colette."

"I know that! But I can't just leave my friend!"

"That's not what you're doing," Regal urged, standing to his full height as more and more angels approached him.

"I…I once wasn't able to protect someone very important to me. So this time, I'm going to succeed. I'm going to protect my friends."

"Regal…" Lloyd breathed before nodding determinedly "Don't die. Don't make me go through the same pain you did, you hear me?"

He turned away from the gap a second later, nodding to his party and leading them on, each one of them glancing back at the rubble as they went. All except Raine. This was how it had to be. Regal had made his decision and was carrying it out with as much honour as one could muster in life. He did not deserve pitying glances.

They travelled onto the next area, in silence now, mourning the loss of one their friends. The last member to have joined them, but no less one of them for that.

The next area was darker and damper. A large circular room with a spiral staircase that was spun about five pillars that surrounded a deep pit. Raine glanced down as they descended the steps, wondering if there was any purpose to it.

Once they had reached the bottom they found a walkway leading across the centre of the pit to the other side of the room and, after a moments hesitation from Lloyd, began to cross. Before he had gotten more than a few steps, however, something dark swung out in front of him, sending him staggering back. Raine lifted the light on the end of her staff to shed light on the object. Sheena frowned.

"This thing looks like leftovers from earlier."

"You mean…one of the Giant Tree's…" Lloyd asked. Raine recalled the image of the great, flailing tree and cringed….the damage they had caused to Sylvarant.

"Yep, no doubt about it. Just stand back and leave this to me!" Sheena ordered, pulling out four cards from inside her robe. And Raine watched with interest, Sheena's plan becoming clear to her as the girl summoned Celsius.

She swallowed thickly, catching the girl's gaze for a brief moment.

"I command thee! Gatherest before me and unleash thine power!" Sheena demanded at the four spirits now materialised before her. Streams of light encircled the girl as the spirits lent her their power before disappearing again.

Raine's heart sped up a fraction.

"What are you doing?!" Lloyd demanded, voice tight with confusion and worry.

Raine pulled Genis towards her, motioning for Presea to follow suit.

"My impression of the Mana Cannon. Well, it won't be nearly as powerful, but it should be enough to take care of this thing. Lloyd, when I give the signal, run underneath it. Got it?"

"Alright. But what about you?"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Sheena brushed off his concern "Get ready, here we go!"

Raine had to hand to hand it to her, she looked really quite impressive with a stream of lights bursting from her hands, striking the remnants of the tree as she called:

"Now!"

Shoving Genis and Presea in front of her Raine dashed across the bridge, Lloyd leading the way and the Professor managed to make it onto solid land just as the root collapsed, taking the bridge with it. They spun to find Sheena slumped against the opposite wall, coated with a layer of grime.

"Sheena! Are you ok?" Lloyd called. She stumbled onto her feet at his voice, moving to stand at the edge of the pit.

"Yeah, I'm all right." She answered, sounding utterly exhausted.

"That was amazing!"

She grinned back in response.

"Just don't ask me to do it again. That drained all my mana, I'm going to rest for just a…" The rest of her sentence was lost to a scream as a dark, thin shape loomed out of the pit and she disappeared from sight in a split second, dragged over the edge of the pit.

Pale fingers clung to the rock above her painfully, a thick branch wrapped about her right leg.

"Sheena!" Lloyd lurched "Hang on, I'll…"

He was cut off by the sound of her soft laughter echoing through the air, the sound growing in strength. The teen's brows furrowed.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you laughing?"

"I was just remembering the time when we first met. It looks like I have a strong affinity for falling into holes."

Lloyd rolled his eyes.

"Just hang on. I'll be right there!"

Raine felt like pointing out that the only way to get from one side of the room to the other had just been destroyed, but she was saved from the task by Sheena's next words.

"Don't worry about me. Just hurry up and go rescue Colette."

"This is not the time to act all tough!"

"I'm not acting," Sheena bristled "It's just like the last time when I climbed up from the bottom of that pit and I took you on. And this time…I won't miss the main event."

"You better be telling the truth."

"Of course! You better leave me a piece of the action!"

"Ok, I'll be waiting for you, you got that?" Lloyd called. Raine swallowed thickly again as the boy turned and dashed away, not bothering to give Sheena his final glance. The professor wondered if he believed she'd actually make it.

She bit her lip as she walked. In the case of another trap…who would fall next? Her, Genis or Presea? She was sure she couldn't watch her own brother fall…and she had to face the fact that it might well be her. She straightened her shoulders as she walked, forcing her figure more upright. If it was her turn, then so be it.

The walk from room to room, passage to passage, seemed to be getting longer to her and Raine had to admit…she didn't feel comfortable walking in a group this small. With only four of them left…the last time they had been in a group this small was when they had first entered Tethe'alla…

A pair of metal double doors slid open smoothly in front of Lloyd and Raine blinked. The room was well lit and after walking in the dim light for so long, it was painful to her eyes.

The room was bland. Metal. Tiled. A computer set on a table in the middle of the room, a pair of chrome doors on the other side. She swallowed. Computers were her forte.

She made her way over to it as Lloyd crossed to the doors, pounding on them and she glanced around the room, wondering what the trap would be.

"Damn it, open!"

Raine cocked an eyebrow, sighing inwards before setting her fingertips against the keys. Genis looked over at her from the door.

"It looks like you can control it from here. Leave this to me."

"Professor Sage, hurry." Lloyd urged.

"Don't rush me…" Raine frowned "This is it."

Typing in the code, she hit the enter key, watching the doors slid open smoothly. Lloyd spun and grinned at her.

"You did it!"

A second later the trap she had been waiting for kicked in, rocking the room with violent shaking, the ground trembling beneath her feet. The shaking threw her off balancing, sending her slamming into the metal ground and her eyes widened as she felt the cold plate behind her give way beneath her legs.

Her elbows locked instinctively and she threw her weight into her shoulders, pulling her body forwards as the ground disappeared.

With her weight fully on what she guessed was actually not so solid ground she sat on her haunches for a second, feeling her heart fluttering desperately in her chest.

"Professor Sage! Are you ok?" Lloyd's voice called.

She staggered upright. She had to show strength in front of her students.

"I'm fine. I just made a minor input error."

She ignored Genis' blue gaze burning into her, accusing.

"Be careful, ok?"

"It's ok now. I'm opening the next door."

Her heart stopped for a second as her fingers pushed the key that sent the doors in front of Lloyd skittering open.

The trap was different this time though and a in a flash Lloyd, Genis and Presea were engaged in a battle against the plants that roamed this area, affected by the mana from the former Great Tree they had forced to germinate.

She watched as burning leaves and stems fell to the floor, petals wilting and shrivelling under the might of Genis' fire attacks. She felt slightly better for that, seeing that Genis could take care of himself and his friends.

But even as she began to conjure a spell to heal them lest they get attacked again, the ground began to quake again, forcing another plate to give way and fall, leaving a half circle of pit around her.

"This is quite an intricate trap." She muttered to herself.

"Professor Sage, are you really making that many mistakes?" Lloyd asked, pausing for a second as something crossed his mind. "Wait, are you…"

"There's no time to worry about that!" she cut him off "I'm opening the next one!"

She hit the key on the console again, being forced to wait and watch as her brother fought off the next monster that had been hidden behind the door. But there, behind the monster and the battle was the path on to the next room.

The room began shaking before Lloyd had even finished the last enemy off and she gripped the side of the console as they turned are ran back to her, standing in the entrance to the room.

The floor in front of the door had already fallen away.

"Professor Sage! I knew it!…"

"Lloyd, this room will soon collapse. Hurry up and go." She ordered calmly, watching as rubble began to shake free of the ceiling, the final floor panel falling away, leaving her stranded on a wobbling isle in the centre of the pit.

"No! I'm not leaving you behind!" he looked to Genis, who stared past his friend to his sister. "I don't want to sacrifice anyone anymore!"

"Sacrifice?" Raine questioned and shook her head. "When did anyone become a sacrifice? I believe in your ideals. A world that would accept those of us caught in the middle. I believe in your vision of the world. It has become my hope. I came all the way here in order to realize that dream. I've no regrets."

She thought back to the beginning of their journey, how far they had come, how much they had learnt, all the things they had experienced. She wondered what Kratos would think if he saw her now.

"Saving the world won't mean anything if we lose you!"

"My soul will live on in the world you create. But if your ideals die, then my hope dies as well. Living on without hope is worse than death, don't you think?"

"I…I don't understand that at all!"

"If you don't understand, then make use of your remaining life to think about what it means for a person to live. That's my final lesson to you as your teacher. Now, go. Do as your teacher says."

She watched the trio through the falling haze of rubble and metal, watching as paint flaked from the walls and the room swayed. Her heart seized at the sight of Genis, staring at her with wide blue eyes, brimming with tears, Lloyd's face forlorn and hopeless. Uncomprehending. She smiled softly at him, meeting his gaze calmly and gestured for him to leave. She would not give away that she was scared, that her heart was beating frantically, that her palms were sweating and her legs about to give.

"Professor Sage…I'll never forget you!"

A flash of red and the boy was gone, his voice ringing in her ears.

"The rest is in your hands, my precious student…" she whispered.

A moment later a chunk of rock was finally shook loose from the ceiling and it ploughed into the ground before her, destroying the computer and the foundations below the floor. She felt it crumble, felt the tile fracture, felt it tilt backwards and throw her into empty air.

She saw the world fall away from her and wondered if this pit was connected to the one Sheena had fallen into.

The foundations of the room faded out of sight until she was surrounding by darkness. Something skimmed past her arm, ripping through her clothes and shredding the skin below. She flinched. She wondered if, should she somehow survive, if it would scar.

She wondered what the world would be like without her and what she could've achieved if she had lived a full length life. What could she have done?

But…she thought, that she had lived a good life, for one so short. It was true. She had no regrets. Nothing. She was glad for having to have had to raise Genis, she was ecstatic that she had had what she had with Kratos.

She had no regrets, she had no regrets…and that's what should would tell herself until she met the sudden stop at the end of this long drop…

* * *

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter :)


	39. Change of heart

A.N: Apologies for the wait for this chapter. It has been...about a month I think, since the last update. Unfortunately, I didn't realise how much of my time my job was going to take up and since my boss is determined to get all the hours he can out of me, it's not about to change. Still, updates should be faster now that I've got back into writing this and I am hoping to get the next chapter up in two weeks. I'm giving myself that time to work towards.

Anyway, enough excuses...

Enjoy!

* * *

Change of heart

Kratos sat beside the throne of his Lord, deep in the castle that Yggdrasill resided in, his chin resting atop his knee.

Colette was being captured as he sat and thought, Zelos no doubt betraying the group, revealing his link to Cruxis…how he had been a secret spy for them all along. He wondered how the group, especially the original four, would react to another betrayal. He wondered how _Lloyd_ would react to another betrayal.

Heaving a sigh he stood, checking his sword briefly before striding out of the throne room, intending to have a look at what was going on.

The group would no doubt find their way through the basements of the tower of Salvation in an attempt to rescue Colette, and that way was fraught with traps. It was likely only one of them would make it to the end, and that would be Lloyd. But he couldn't continue on his quest to try and save the world on his own. He needed his friends to help him out, and as his father, Kratos supposed it was his responsibility to aid him in that. There was no guarantee that he could save them all, not on his own, but he would have to try.

Frowning, he paced through the silent paths of Welgaia, briefly stopping to tap into the security systems to try and ascertain where the group were.

"They're already making their way through."

The seraph spun at the voice, turning to see a distinctly younger red head standing behind him.

"Zelos."

"Yup. You planning on doing something about them or leaving them?"

"What do you care?"

Zelos shrugged. "I don't. But it's interesting to see if Lloyd's affected you as much as Raine believes."

Kratos' eyes narrowed at the mention of Raine's name. "Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb Kratos. I saw you and Raine in Flanoir. Looked like you and the ultra cool beauty were getting quite cosy. Didn't think you had it in you, what with your history and everything. Does…what's her name? Anna? Mean nothing to you anymore?"

Kratos clenched his fist, grinding his teeth slightly at the soon to be Ex-chosen's flippant comments.

"Why are you here, _Chosen_?" Kratos asked, emphasising the fact that the man still bore that title. For the moment, anyway. Zelos' jovial smug expression dropped instantly.

"To bother you. What else have I got to do?"

"Leave me be. I have better things to do with my time."

"Like what? Save them?" Zelos snorted "There's no point you know. Yggdrasill will kill them all in the end anyway. Your son and your new found sweetheart."

Kratos bristled.

"Aw did I touch a nerve?"

He didn't answer.

"You can't save them. There's no point in trying."

"Your lack of faith is somewhat of an annoyance."

"Your existence is an annoyance." Zelos countered.

"I'm aware. But it is not your place to judge. After all, like me, you have no place here."

"Excuse me?"

"You're not one of us, Zelos. You're not a Seraph. Not a Cruxis member. Not a Renegade. Not a Chosen. Not one of Lloyd's team and now…not even much of a brother. Where is your place Zelos?"

"And where's yours?" Zelos snapped. "I've always known I don't have one while you've had the luxury of flitting from Lloyd to Cruxis. Gotta pick a side eventually."

"I've made my choice."

"So have I." Zelos replied smugly.

"The wrong one. You won't be accepted here anymore than you would anywhere else. There is only one place...one group of people that trusted you, accepted you and saw you as you truly are. And you've just condemned them to death."

Zelos snorted. "Is this your plan? You're gonna make me help you save them by telling me they love me?"

"I know you better than you think. I have watched you grow. I saw your mother die. I saw your sister reject you. I saw you turn into the pitiful lying creature you are now."

"Yeah, insulting me is going to make me help you save them."

"What makes you think that I want or even need your help?"

Zelos didn't answer.

"Or are you having your own thoughts about just that. Are you feeling guilty?"

"Of course I'm not! I'm glad to be rid of those goody two shoes."

"Your friends." Kratos corrected.

"I don't have…"

"And your sister?" Kratos cut in. "If Martel accepts Colette as her vessel, then Seles will die along with all the humans and elves on earth. If Colette is not a suitable vessel then Mithos will continue to appoint Chosens. And eventually, your sister will be sacrificed."

"Well I'm sure Lloyd will save the world." Zelos replied sarcastically. "So she won't have to be."

"Do you want to take that risk? Besides, Lloyd cannot do this on his own."

"He has daddy to help him now."

"You think I alone can aid him? My life may well be ended soon, if follows his plan through."

"And what, you want me to look out for him?"

"I want you accept that he made a difference to your pitiful life, just as he did to mine. The choice is entirely yours, but you would do well to remember what they all did for you. They will accept you back. They accepted you in the first place. No-one else will."

Kratos strode past the Chosen who was now standing in silence.

"Oh and Zelos…"

"What?" The younger man snapped.

"As I understand it, Seles no longer has your Cruxis crystal…and you don't appear to be wearing it. Where is it, exactly? And as I recall…the Aionis is in the store room, should you need it."

He kept on walking, not waiting for Zelos' answer. The boy would make up his mind on his own and if Kratos himself spent anymore time persuading him, they he may not rescue any of Lloyd's friends at all.

He made his way across Welgaia's platforms, pulling out his wings briefly to pass over a gap and into the emergency transporter that led to the bowels of the tower of salvation. The only way he could find them was to systematically check the rigged rooms, and that meant the angel storage room was first.

--

Regal grunted as he was knocked to the ground by a heavy blow from one of the angel commanders, his skin splitting and blood flowing free from where the sword had struck him. Gritting his teeth, he clutched the wound with his left hand, his forearms brought in front of his torso defensively as he pushed himself into a standing position.

Pausing he looked about the room at his situation. There was no end to the throngs of angels, the creatures seeming to fill every available space in the room, leaving him encircled.

He had already taken down a good number, feathers and weapons littering the floor where they had fallen but there was only so much that even he could do. He was beginning to feel exhaustion setting in, the pain from his multiple wounds not helping anyway and he began to fear that he would not be able to keep his promise to Lloyd. He had to try however.

Glaring up at the angel that was descending towards him he leapt into the air, flicking his leg out as he came even with the robot, sending it spiralling through the air. Using the momentum from the attack, he flipped backwards, barrelling into another before righting himself, about to land neatly on the floor when something clubbed him in the stomach.

He flew back through the air, his back slamming into the rubble of the corridor entrance he had brought down earlier and all air left his lungs in a rush. He floundered, lying amongst the rubble, his back punctured by jagged pieces of rock, his lungs empty as watering eyes rolled up to the angels above him. Tensing he tried to bring his scratched forearms beneath his body in an attempt to push himself up, finding himself up but finding himself unable to do so.

It looked like he really wouldn't be able to keep his promise to Lloyd.  
Swallowing, he kept eye contact with the figures now swooping down on him. If he was going to die here, he would do it facing his enemies, not cowering in fear. In fact, so intent was he on staring down the automatons, that he didn't see the dark clad figure that hovered above the host of angels, its blue wings beating steadily, a sword held out before it. Not until he heard the voice that emanated from it, calling spiritual powers, ordering them, bending them to his will…

"Sacred powers, cast thy purifying light on these corrupt souls. Rest in peace, sinners."

Blue eyes rolled to the figure just as the sword was pulled vertical, the glass wings seeming to pulse with power, the voice so _demanding _that the next spectacle didn't come as a surprise.

"Judgement!"

Shafts of searing white light blazed down from the heavens, obliterating all in their path in fractions of a second.

Regal pulled his eyes away, the light too bright to behold for long as the sweet scent of cooking flesh filled the air. A moment later, there was silence, and a soft shower of something settling on him. He looked at it as it settled onto his arms. Ash. The remains of his opponents.

Black boots set down in front of him, Kratos kneeling down before the injured man a moment later, looking him over before casting a healing spell on him. Regal pushed himself up onto his haunches.

"Thank you."

Kratos merely nodded, rising and stepping away from him, his mouth set into a grim line.

"Does this mean you have chosen to side with Lloyd?" Regal asked as he climbed to his feet, looking at the fractionally shorter man.

"For the moment." Kratos answered before turning to face Regal. "I don't have much time. The rest of your group will need rescuing too and rapidly."

"Yes."

"In the corner of the room there's an elevator. Take it to the top of this room and I shall meet you there and guide you to an area you can rest in."

Regal nodded, following the others' order, finding Kratos at the top of the room, folding away gossamer wings once again.

"What is Yggdrasill planning to do with Colette?" Regal asked as the other man began to guide him through the dark passages of Derris-Kharlan.

"What he has always planned to do," he answered "To transfer Martel's soul into Colette's body."

"And why are you not present to watch the procedure?"

"Yggdrasill no longer trusts anyone…save, perhaps, Pronyma. Since he's been aware of my involvement with Lloyd he's has been letting me be privy to less and less of his plans."

"I see."

Kratos went back to being silent quite happily as Regal mulled over his responses, the tall figures making their way through dark tunnels that eventually opened into a large, empty chamber.

"I advise you to stay here and rest," Kratos informed Regal, walking over to a computer bank set into a curved wall, tapping into the security systems. "Anyone I manage to rescue I shall bring here before taking you to the chamber where Yggdrasill is holding Colette."

Regal nodded, watching the shadowed figure of Kratos as the man's eyes narrowed, flicking between two screens. He was right when he said he didn't have enough time to rescue them all on his own…Sheena was dangling off the side of a pit, held by roots of the former warped Kharlan tree. The group was already moving on, and at the speed they were walking, it would not take long for them to reach the next trap. And Kratos was well aware of what that was and who would be the one to fall prey to it. He bit his lip.

Sheena was in the more immediate danger…but by the time he had saved her and guided her back here, Raine would already have fallen.

Which life was more important?...he knew which was more important to _him _but…who was he to decide who lived and who died? A few months ago, he wouldn't have cared, not before meeting Lloyd. Then, all the lives he encountered had the same value, the same meaning…or lack thereof.

"Is there a problem?" Regal's voice cut through Kratos' thoughts.

"He's just agonising over which lady to go and rescue because he can't save them both on his own."

Regal and Kratos' heads snapped towards the owner of the new voice. Zelos.

He was emerging from the corridor the two men had just walked down.

"Zelos," Regal growled "What…"  
"Save it, Regal. We don't have time for this. I've seen the errors of my ways, blah, blah, please let me join you again and all that jazz, now can we get on with rescuing the damsels in distress?"

Regal remained silent, staring at Zelos as if trying to gauge how truthful he was. Kratos, on the other hand, did not have the time to consider that.

"Very well then. Zelos, I suggest you go and aid Sheena. I will go to Raine."

"Heh, can't think why it's worked out that way." Zelos quipped, glancing at the security screens before taking off down the corridor at a run to the nearest teleporter to the room.

"Do you think he is trustworthy?" Regal asked as Kratos made steps to leave.

"It's irrelevant at the moment. We have no choice but to trust him if we are to have any chance of rescuing everyone. Now, if you'll excuse me…I have a supposed damsel in distress to attend to."

He took off before Regal could utter another word, leaving the room calmly before breaking into a sprint once he was out of earshot. He may well be paranoid, but he was not about to let Raine fall to her death.

--

The ground shook as Kratos raced along paths that travelled above the route Lloyd's group had taken, knowing that all the doors had now sealed behind them. The only way in was from above meaning he was running along the upper sides of the ceilings…and the shaking meant that the rooms below were collapsing.

He counted along the walls, measuring the distance he had run, skidding to a halt when he estimated he had come far enough, searching along the floor for one of the roof tiles, kicking down upon one when he found it. It buckled and fell through. Releasing his wings, he dropped into the room, staring down.

Raine was nowhere in sight and the floor was no longer a floor but a giant hole, save for the computer bank in the middle, its pillar support shaking precariously.

He dove without another thought, hoping that with his wings pressed flat against his back and his weight heavier than that of Raine's, he would fall faster and be able to catch her. Although, _when _she had fallen was a far more pressing issue.

Darkness had risen up around him now, the light from the room above fading as he plummeted, his wings casting an eerie blue glow into the darkness as if his aura had become visible. He strained his eyes in the dark, hoping he could see any speck of orange, any sign of life, his ears listening intently for her breathing. Anything.

Nothing echoed up to him in the pitch black and he felt his stomach turn. He couldn't lose her…not now. Not after everything. She had not deserted him and he had to respond to her in kind. He didn't know how far the pit extended but he would keep falling until her found her…dead or alive.

--

She was falling, the speed of her descent creating a wind that whipped at her hair and clothes, blowing silver strands into her face. Her heart fluttered in her chest, wondering how long this fall would take. All she was aware of, all her senses could pick up was…nothingness. The very element of the void she was falling into. She sighed, taking a breath as she fell, stretching her arms and legs out so that she was spread eagled.

The question resounded in her mind: why?

Well….why not? What was there to do here in the midst of nothingness? It could be an instant until it all ended…or an eternity. She could starve to death before she hit the ground…

She swallowed. The thought didn't appeal to her. She would rather have that brief moment of pain of her body hitting the floor, her bones breaking simultaneously, than the slow starvation. Alone. Blind and deaf and mute because there was no one to talk to.

She closed her eyes, wondering if she could enjoy the feeling of the wind rushing past her. She wondered if this is what Kratos felt when he flew…she would never find out now though. All she could now was simply hope that Lloyd would succeed.

She opened her eyes again, exhaling then squinting, wondering if the blue speck in the distance above her was just her mind trying to give her something to entertain herself. She was going insane already…

--

His eyes were beginning to ache from squinting into the darkness and Kratos blinked repeatedly as he fell. With no light source at all, even with his enhanced vision, locating her would be difficult. The glow given off by his wings was not that sufficient and he tested his voice quietly, clearing his throat. No sound echoed back to him.

Too quiet. Or the expanse was too great.

"Raine!"

He had fallen some distance when his voice, distorted by the echo, returned to him. Faint. Warbled. And not nearly loud enough for Raine's ears to pick up if she was anymore than three feet away,

He closed his eyes, taking a breath…he owed it to the rest of the group to rescue them. Was it really fair for him to expend all this time on just Raine when others were in danger?

He breathed out, opening his eyes, swallowing thickly. If she was alive…he was abandoning her to her death. Just as he did with Anna. He killed her…how was this any different? And even if Raine was happy to sacrifice herself for her belief…just as Anna had…how was he doing any better by not hunting her down?

But…he owed it to Lloyd and the others still alive to help them…

He snapped his wings open. The living took precedence.

It was as the feathers snapped into place, catching the air though, that he caught it…a speck of orange and white in the darkness, lit weakly by his light.

He folded his wings back instantly, diving through the darkness again, his heart racing…she was still falling he, still had a chance to save her and he fell with a renewed hope. Blurring past her in the darkness, a stripe of blue passing over white before wings snapped open again, catching air…outstretched arms catching a falling figure, clutching at it desperately, cradling it against his body.

His heart soared.

--

It shot past her, a blue streak and she twisted her head, cold air blowing into her face as she fell through darkness.

It stop suddenly, her body deposited into arms, crushed against another a second later, warm and hard, and she tilted her head up, looking at his face lit by ethereal blue light.

The term 'Guardian angel' could not seem more clichéd…or more fitting at this point.

"Kratos?"

"Are you alright, Raine?"

Her heart trembled in her chest at the question. Was she alright? She had just prepared herself to face death…she had thought she had said goodbye to her brother for the last time. Now…now she was safe…

She didn't answer just pressed her face into his shoulder.

Kratos let her be, understanding the shock she was going through, slowly pushing his wings against the air, forcing himself upwards, slowly gathering speed. Just because Raine had been saved, didn't mean all his work was done.

--

She was aware, for a little while, only of the heat of him, her body cradled safely in his arms. It was only when light hit her closed eyelids that she cracked them open, gazing around to find herself rising through the room she had fallen in, a panel missing in the ceiling which they rose through smoothly.

She tilted her head back, looking up at her saviour, his set jaw. He looked down at her as his feet settled onto solid ground, catching her eye in the dark corridor.

"Are you well?" he asked softly.

She nodded shakily in response. "A bit shaken but…no worse for wear."

"Are you able to walk?" She nodded again, allowing him to lower her so that she might step onto the floor.

"We will have to be quick…there are others who will still need attending to."

"I see."

"Who else…"

"Regal. Zelos, having 'seen the error of his ways' has gone to rescue Sheena."

"So he's decided to return to us after all."  
"So it would seem, though I haven't spoken to him since he made the decision to return to you."

She exhaled as he made a move to leave, leading her through the darkness, his pace swift enough that she had to trot to keep up with him. They walked in silence, their minds set on more serious issues than just making small talk. However, there was one issue pressing on Raine's mind…

"Kratos…"

"Yes?"

"I suppose a thank you is in order, and you do, of course have my thanks for," she swallowed "saving me." The words left a bitter taste in her mouth. For all the affection she held for Kratos, she had never been a person who wanted to be rescued…she had always been sure that she could remain in control of her situation, not end up as a helpless female. A 'damsel in distress' if you would.

"But…" Kratos started for her, knowing there was an undercurrent of that running through her last statement.

"But…I was falling for some time, though I have no way to judge how long. The time you spent searching for me…that would have been better spent on saving someone else."

"…you were the one in the more immediate danger. It makes sense to rescue people in the order that they have fallen."

"But…Presea, or Genis…or even Lloyd. Their danger could be more imminent."

"Or it could not. Why does it matter? Do you think your life has less value than theirs that they should be rescued sooner than you?"

"…They may be of more use to Lloyd."

"I believe that everyone within your group has their role…and the group as a whole will not function as efficiently with a piece missing. You are as of much 'use' to Lloyd as anyone else. You are his teacher, the group's healer, the main source of knowledge. The rationale and maturity that the rest of them, save Regal, lacks."

"…Do you think even Zelos has a place with us?"

"I don't believe it is my place to say. I will say this for him though…in the world of politics, which you are involved in so deeply with this quest, he is a useful and powerfully ally."

"Do we need that anymore, at this stage?"

"How do you know that everything cannot turn on its head in an instant? Don't cast away something so trivially just because you don't believe it has no use. There is no…love lost between myself and Zelos. In fact, as people go, I have difficulty remaining civil towards him…but he does have his uses, and perhaps some redeeming features, if nothing else."

"I think I can quite understand that, sometimes. He can be somewhat…obnoxious."

"To put it mildly."

A small smile quirked at the corner of Raine's lips at the comment before they fell silent again, walking side by side now. Just like old times.

They reached the room Kratos had left Regal in a little while later; entering the dimly lit space to see Sheena huddled beside Regal. Their heads jerked up at the sound of footsteps approaching and their faces broke into wide smiles when they saw Raine walking towards them, unscathed.

"Raine!"

The two stood as she approached them.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Are the two of you alright?"

"We're fine," Regal answered, "Just both in need of some rest."

"Zelos succeeded then." Kratos stated, cutting through the conversation and looking at Sheena. She scowled slightly at the mention of his name.

"Yeah, he….rescued me," she muttered "He's gone on to save Presea."

"I see. Then I should be moving on to whoever is next."

"Genis probably, if we're trying to get Lloyd to Yggdrasill."

Kratos nodded, striding across the room to the computer banks, looking at them briefly before nodding.

"Wait here. Rest if need be. Zelos should be able to guide you to the room where the procedure is taking place. I'll meet you there with Genis."

With that, Kratos turned on his heel and left the room again, disappearing in just a few strides.

Raine watched him go, chewing her lip before sinking onto the floor to gather her thoughts after the whole ordeal.

--

They sat crouched behind the low wall on a balcony like structure that over-looked the room in which Mithos was attempting to make Colette Martel's vessel. Zelos was crouched at their lead, listening intently, concern written over a usually jovial face.

Kratos and Genis had not yet arrived but Raine had every faith that they would soon appear. Not a moment later, she was proved right when Genis came sprinting over to her, falling and scraping his knee in the process before throwing himself into a hug with her. The mercenary followed at a more leisurely pace, his gait unhurried though she could see dark eyes trained on the scene below flicking between the four figures.

They lifted slightly as he listened in on the conversation before joining the rest of the group, hunkering down beside Raine, his head tilted. Genis untangled himself from his sister before peering over the wall.

"He's going to kill Lloyd!" He hissed.

They looked around at each other, nodding and Genis instantly jumped up and cast a fire ball. It struck the leader of Cruxis, knocking him away from Lloyd.

"We won't let you lay a finger on him!" Genis shouted and heads snapped up towards him as the rest of the group leapt up onto the wall beside the boy.

Kratos snatched at Zelos' arm as the red head made to follow, shaking his head and holding the younger man in place.

"Not yet." He warned.

"Guys!" Came Lloyd's surprised retort "How?… You're ok?"

"I told you I wouldn't miss the main event!" Sheena reminded as she grinned at the boy. Yggdrasill glared up at them.

"You did not want to share the same pain I do, correct?" Regal asked rhetorically.

Raine lifted her head. "I can't possibly miss seeing the new world that's about to be made."

"I can still fight. As long as I can fight, I will stay by your side." Presea finished.

Genis sniggered in response. "Pretty good, huh?"

"Everyone…" Lloyd breathed, looking up at the friends he had thought he'd lost. "All right! Let's take him on together!"

They leapt from the wall and raced towards Lloyd, gathering around him.

Yggdrasill sighed heavily. "What a sorry lot. Pronyma, it is your fault they're still alive. Kill them!"

"Yes, sir!"

--

It was quite obvious to Kratos as he held Zelos back from the fight, that the Chosen didn't understand why he was not allowed to fight with his once-friends.

"Wait for the opportune moment," Kratos murmured "We can do more damage to Yggdrasill in showing that we have sided with Lloyd in a moment than when he is distracted with the battle. Besides, we cannot yet gain access to Colette and there is no point in joining the fray and loosing the chance to do that by surprising him by joining now."

"But what if we're too late?!" Zelos hissed "If Colette is already taken over…"

"Martel, even if pushed into Colette's body, can only stay there if she wishes too. She will not."

"Are you so sure about that that you're willing to risk it?"

Kratos nodded. "I am."

"Right…"

"The only way Mithos will see the error of his ways is if Martel points them out to him."

"Whoa, let me get this straight. You _want _Martel's soul to enter Colette's body?"

"Temporarily," Kratos corrected "It is the last chance I have to save the Mithos that I once knew. If this fails…then all else will and we will have no choice but to destroy him in order to save the world."

"You said yourself that you can't save everyone."

"I have to try. For his sake…and to prove there is something good left within me. That I have not abandoned my student…not until I know that there is no other way to save him. It is perhaps my final duty to him as his former teacher."

Zelos remained silent on the subject, opting to glare at Kratos for not having the guts to follow through with one course. It was Lloyd or Mithos, simple as that. He couldn't side with both…not if he wanted the world to survive anyway.

Blue and brown eyes turned to look over the wall, conversation over, just as a loud, high scream rang through the small chamber.

Pronyma was on the floor, crawling towards Yggdrasill, pulling herself along with bloodied, torn forearms. Lloyd's swords dripped with dark blood as he stood watching the woman they had just defeated. Crimson liquid smeared in a long stain behind the witch's body, her green hair tangled and sweat soaked, her immaculate makeup running.

"Lord Yggdrasill…" she panted, voice strained with pain as she turned dying eyes upon her master "…it hurts." Her voice was barely more than a squeak as, behind her, Lloyd sheathed his swords.

"Please…help me…" she pleaded, still crawling towards him.

Yggdrasill seemed blind to her plight, instead watching intently as mana transferred from the Great seed to the capsule in which Colette was contained.

"I've succeeded!" the seraph exclaimed and Kratos heard something in his voice that he had not heard from any of the seraphim in years. Joy. "Martel is awake!"

Pronyma, now nearing the blonde, looked up to him reaching up towards him, her voice desperate now as she begged:

"Lord Yggdrasill…Mithos…_please_…"

He snapped round to face her, finally giving her the attention she wanted. But green eyes narrowed as he looked at her, contempt twisting his face.

"Only my former companions can call me by that name! Get out of my sight!" His hand, shrouded in light, struck out at her a moment later, sending her tumbling backwards, her body limp. Dead on impact. Her body broke down at the scene black mana and energy rising from it until there was nothing left to mark her existence…only the blood smeared on the floor.

"That's so cruel…" Presea stated, her voice tinged with emotion, even as Yggdrasill turned his back on them to watch the pod containing Colette opening.

The girl's eyes fluttered open and after a moment she sat up, looking around the room, blinking before she climbed to her feet and off the machine, approaching Yggdrasill.

"Dear sister…you've finally come back to me!" he exclaimed, the smile on his face for once not containing any malice.

Kratos eyes narrowed as he watched the scene…he was sure the words Mithos was about to hear were not ones he wanted to, even as Martel's soft voice flowed from Colette's lips. It was bizarre…hearing that voice of a woman millennia dead. He had the urge to make his presence known to her…to be able to say goodbye to her this time…one of his oldest and truest friends. He was sure if Yuan was here now, he would be crying for the bittersweet situation. To hear the voice of the one he loved again, but from the body of a stranger…and to be here only for a moment.

"Mithos…what have you done?"

"Martel?" Mithos questioned, sounding taken aback by the question before he 'realised' what she was referring to. "Oh, you mean my body. I hastened my growth to have an appearance befitting the leader of Cruxis. Wait just a moment. I'll switch back to my old form."

With a flash he changed back into his former, childish form as if the act wasn't a big deal at all.

"No, Mithos, not that," Colette's head shook, moved by Martel "I've been watching all this time. Unable to move, unable to do anything, I watched all those foolish things you've done. Have you forgotten everything? We stopped the Ancient War because we dreamt of a world where humans, elves, and those in between could live in harmony."

Kratos' heart seized at her words. He had failed in his duty to guide Mithos, and failed to protect him for Martel's sake. But…the boy had gone off the rails following her death….

"What are you saying? This after all the trouble I went to prepare a new body for you? But I see…you don't like that one, do you?"

Kratos could all but envision Martel, back in her own body, hanging her head in frustration, finger tapping against her hip the way it always used to when she was disturbed in some way.

"Mithos, please. Listen to me," she begged "What you have done…is wrong. It is not what we strived for."

Mithos jerked as if she had physically struck him.

"…Wrong? Are you rejecting me?"

"No, I want you to remember," Martel replied "Please stop this and become your old self again…"

But the damage was already done. Mithos was too far gone in his own mind to be reasoned with now…even though the person he had gone to all the effort for was standing before him. Wrong as it may be…

"Martel, even you reject me? No…Martel would never say something like that…" Manic laughter followed the statement and Kratos tensed, preparing to make a move. He was getting dangerous…psychotic and more so than he had ever seen him before.

"I won't allow that, do you hear me?!" He screamed, letting a torrent of power fly from his hands, the room shaking in response.

Kratos had seen enough. Rising to his feet he jumped atop the wall, Zelos following suit. Leaping from the wall they landed neatly on the floor, Kratos rushing to the group as Zelos made a beeline for Colette.

"Lloyd, are you alright?" Kratos asked.

The boy, wide eyed and stunned, nodded in response, his eyes flicking to Colette as Zelos approached her, fitting the key crest over her Cruxis crystal. Mithos whipped round to face the Chosen.

"What are you doing?!" he growled before flicking his eyes to the other red-head who was standing beside his son. Both men had turned on him…

"Kratos! You betray me…again?!"

"I do not mean to betray you. I am full of regret," he answered calmly, but his mouth twisted and his eyes hardened as he met Mithos' once innocent gaze. "Regret that I could not stop you."

"Kratos!" Lloyd exclaimed happily, grinning at his father "I knew you'd come back to us!"

"That's right, Lloyd. He saved us from the impossible situations we were in." Raine added, her voice soft though she tried to hide the affection she held for him as she looked at the former mercenary.

Mithos let out a growl of frustration, firing an attack at Colette in anger, only to miss as Zelos shoved her out of the way. The blazing green eyes turned onto him now.

"I thought you wanted me to set you free of your fate as a Chosen!"

"Oh, you know what? I changed my mind," he answered casually, the ever present annoying grin on his face once more "That won't matter after we beat the snot out of you anyway."

He turned back to Lloyd, his voice marginally more sombre as he looked to him.

"Sorry about all that. It was the only way I could get my hands on this. Here."

He threw a chunk of something to the boy, Kratos recognising the appearance, the slick black surface as he arced through the air, landing neatly in Lloyd's hands.

Aionis.

"Refine that with dwarven arts, and it'll let even a human use the Eternal Sword!"

"You…are you saying you did all that just to get this?"

"That's right," Sheena stepped forwards "This stupid Chosen released us from those traps back there, as well as Kratos."

"But it is true that I deceived you," Zelos pointed out "I've held you guys back for a long time. I figured I'd at least have to do something like that to make up for it."

"If you want to make it up to us, hurry up and fight!"

Zelos saluted. "You got it!"

Mithos growled loudly, his plans falling apart around him.

"Damn you! Give me back my sister!"

"Goodbye, Mithos," Martel spoke from Colette's body, her voice soothing "This is my final wish. Please, return this twisted world back to its original form."

"No! Martel! Don't go!"

"If things were going to end up like this, perhaps the elves should never have left Derris-Kharlan. If they hadn't, people like us would never have been born…"

Her presence, her mana was fading from Colette's body even as she spoke and Kratos could feel Martel draining out of consciousness, returning to the Great Seed for what was hopefully the last time. He only hoped they could get the seed to germinate and so give her the peace she deserved. Distantly, he noticed Colette to the floor, but it was Mithos' who was holding his attention now…the near hysterical laughter…given in panic and loss. Or perhaps it now was just simple insanity.

"So…so that was it," he walked over to the Great Seed "Martel, you just wanted to leave this filthy world and return to Derris-Kharlan… Yes, of course. That world is the homeland of all elven blood."

"Mithos?…" Genis questioned quietly, but the other remained oblivious.

"Yes, dearest sister…let's forget these filthy creatures and return home together. To Derris Kharlan…"

He held out his arms, trying to return the seed to a chamber within Derris-Kharlan.

"Everyone, we have to stop Mithos!" Colette suddenly called, the voice her own once again as she climbed to her feet. "Martel is calling to me! Martel wants us to stop him!"

"Shut up!" Mithos demanded "Martel would never say something like that. You…miserable failure!"

"She did say it!" Colette protested "She was crying! She said, 'Please don't make everyone suffer any longer!'"

The blonde boy ignored her, continuing to focus on transporting the seed. Zelos spun to face Lloyd.

"Lloyd, do you understand? If we lose the Great Seed, we'll betray the Renegade's hopes!"

"We'll betray _everyone's_ hopes." Kratos corrected.

"And we of Mizuho won't stand it, either." Sheena stated.

Raine took a step towards Lloyd and his father.

"Without it, the Giant Tree will not germinate."

"Without mana, the land will die." Presea added.

"If your goal is the reunification of the world…" Regal started. Lloyd nodded, understanding the situation, for once.

"I know! We're gonna stop Mithos with everything we've got! …Let's go!"

"I won't let you interfere." Mithos snarled, transforming back into his adult form.

"I will kill you all!"

* * *

Bad ending...really bad ending. Still, hope you enjoyed the chapter and it had all the romance, drama and everything else in it that you wanted.

Thanks for reading. Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated.


	40. Breaking the habit

A.N: Again apologies for the delay, but I think I got this up significantly quicker than the last few. Not much to say other than:

Enjoy!

* * *

Breaking the habit

Kratos could only bring himself to watch as four of the group members, Lloyd, Raine, Sheena and Zelos, tore towards Yggdrasill. The three warriors were dashing forwards, their forms low to the ground, Raine standing at the back, already calling up her spells, focusing entirely on her tasks, the previous ordeals forgotten.

He wondered if they thought that they were now strong enough to face Yggdrasill with only half of their might. He didn't reckon so, but then…Mithos was distracted, emotionally stressed which made him vulnerable…but all the more dangerous for it. He was no longer throwing calculated, pretentious attacks but wild, unpredictable lunges.

And yet he didn't know quite who the low sense of fear in his stomach was for…his son or his student?

He swallowed, watching Lloyd perform Tiger Blade against Yggdrasill, metal shearing through skin.

Rose wings propelled the blonde backwards, away from his attacker, his hands curling into fists, searing white light shining from within them.

He dove forwards, hands slamming into the floor.

"Outburst!"

It was the sheer force of the waves of energy emitting from Yggdrasill's hands that sent Sheena and Lloyd flying backwards to land heavily on the floor some feet away. Kratos heard the simultaneous gasps as the two hit the floor, their breath leaving their bodies at the same moment.

Zelos took the brief moment of Yggdrasill's recovery from the mana expenditure to attack the seraph, his blade shearing through thin cloth and flesh, sending a spurt of crimson blood across the floor and soaking into the pristine white material.

Yggdrasill gasped, propelling himself backwards away from his attacker, hand clasping over the wound for a moment before he pulled it away, staring at the liquid clinging to his hand. It seemed as though he couldn't decide what he was more surprised about: the fact that someone had managed to injure him…or the fact that his blood wasn't blue.

Mana hummed low in the air, sparking as white lights, swirling about Lloyd and Sheena, helping them recover from the force of slamming into the ground. Garnet eyes tracked over to the woman who had cast the spell, watching, for a brief moment, how the light played over her silver hair. A second later they snapped back to Lloyd, watching as the boy moved to make his attack.

The seraph was pleased to see that he no longer charged straight at his enemy, but rather circled around him, eyes locked onto him. His paces were careful sidesteps. Not quite measured yet…there was not much thought as to where his feet landed, but the basic instinct was there. Of course, he was not playing his offense well enough, should he be facing an enemy alone, but rather relying on Sheena and Zelos to keep him covered while he moved in close. He hoped that should he ever come to face an enemy on his own, he would know that.

Still, it meant he was playing to the strengths of working in a group. Distraction, protection and unison. The fundaments of working in a team.

His eyes strayed over to Zelos for a moment now, wondering how much the group would accept him back. The red-head blocked a lightning attack from Yggdrasill, jumping back a moment later and allowing Lloyd access. Fabric and flesh tore beneath steel before blades met an invisible barrier.

Raine cast another healing spell over Zelos as he skidded back from Yggdrasill, healing a few patches of scorched skin where the barrier had no completely protected him. Her own attacks were of no use here. Light was not much good against light…especially light of a greater intensity, so she merely focused on fortifying the defences of the rest of the team, watching over them. She banished a bout of paralysis on Sheena, the girl falling crippled to the floor for a moment, her leg having suddenly seized. The ninja dashed in again, eyes blazing as soon as her leg was compliant, throwing a card straight past Yggdrasill. A smirk played over his lips, believing her to have missed, unaware of her fingers moving slowly, calling on the card to multiply, its clones forming in a pattern around him.

"Demon seal!"

The purple cards exploded, smoke and ebony flames bursting from them, the high wail of damned souls echoing around the room before fading into silence, wisps of twisted faces swirling about the angel.

Lloyd was dashing forwards now, taking advantage of Yggdrasill's momentary distraction, swinging his blades in a flurry of movement before following up with a combination of his 'special' moves. Kratos raised an eyebrow in interest. It seemed that his son had learnt some more advanced moves since they had last fought together.

Yggdrasill lashed out, turning about to face the young boy, Sheena and Zelos flanking the angel on either side and Lloyd back-flipped away from the blonde before shouting to his comrades:

"Follow me!"

He dove in for Yggdrasill, stopping and dodging a blow from the ancient being, before lunging forwards again, his blades piercing into his hip. Zelos and Sheena followed suit, their blows coming from either side, Raine finishing with the strongest form of Photon she could muster, attempting to at least have an effect that wasn't beneficial to the man.

The combined attack crippled him. Wings crumpled and a battered and bloodied body hit the ground. The three leapt away, weapons aimed and ready in case it was a bluff, but the angel simply pushed himself to his feet, his arms wrapping about his injured torso.

Green eyes stared up at the faces around him, uncomprehending.

"…How?…I cannot lose…" he shook his head, his wings carrying him up into the air "I'm going home…I'm going home with my sister…"

Kratos felt something stab into his gut as Mithos disappeared from sight, broken and beaten, the great seed hovering above them. Safe, for the moment.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kratos thought he saw Genis snoop and pick something up from the ground, but his attention was snapped back to Lloyd at the boy's statement following the battle.

"…It's over." He breathed.

"No, it's not," Kratos countered immediately, a harsh edge to his voice. "The worlds are still split. The Giant Tree has still not yet germinated. You must release…Origin."

"Do you know what that means? You might die!"

"I tried to run from everything," Kratos explained, his voice softer now and he was aware of all the groups' eyes on him. "I still need to pay for my past sins. For the sake of releasing Origin's seal, as well as for the sake of settling my past, Lloyd…you must defeat me."

It was Lloyd's turn to snap at the other man now. "You think I'm just gonna go along with that?!"

The former mercenary ignored his son, striding past the others to the doorway that Lloyd had entered through. He stopped at the door for a moment.

"I'll be waiting for you before the seal." He informed the group before disappearing into the light that spilt from the doorway, his figure casting a shadow for a just a moment before he vanished.

--

'_What are you going to do, Lloyd? Are you going to…fight Kratos?' _Raine had asked as they left the tower of Salvation.

'…_I don't know. At any rate, I'll go to Heimdall.'_

--

They were safely in Heimdall now, the pastel blues, oranges and yellows of early sunset beginning to spread across the canvas of the sky. Raine had not realised quite how much time they had spent in the tower of salvation until now, the day's events far too intense to let such thoughts hold any purchase in her mind. Now though, in the tranquillity of the village that she had been born in was soothing tattered thoughts. Or at least, to a degree.

Herself and Genis had been allowed to stay in the village until Lloyd had defeated Kratos, a favour from the village elder, she supposed. Unsurprisingly however, they were still met by glares wherever in the village they wandered, so she had chosen a secluded spot, enveloped by trees and set near the water that encircled the village. The rest of the group were elsewhere in the village, each concerned for Lloyd. He had a huge task ahead of him. She wondered what his decision would be, and how he would cope with the consequences of that decision, one way or another.

She turned at the sound of rustling foliage behind her, Lloyd standing between the trees that encircled her, looking very much his meagre seventeen years. Brown eyes were wide with indecision and worry, searching for some guidance.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

The helpless look vanished from his face instantly at her words. He shook his head.

"Ah, nothing."

"Are you feeling uneasy?"

"What?"

"If you don't kill Kratos, Origin will not be released. Even if you somehow manage to avoid fighting, you still have to release Origin. If you release Origin, Kratos may die and you're right back where you started."

"I want to speak with him. I want to ask him if there isn't any other way."

"You must prepare yourself for the possibility that there isn't." she answered, the words sounding blunt and cruel even to her own ears. She wondered how they must sound to someone as emotionally stressed as Lloyd.

"I'm sorry. I always say things so coldly…"

Lloyd shook his head. "No…You say the harsh things on purpose. It's for our benefit. Thank you. Tonight…I'll make up my mind about whether or not I will kill Kratos."

--

Night had settled fully about the village of Heimdall now and Raine wandered about the hamlet. It was lit with firelight and moonlight, silver light shimmering onto a glade here, warm orange glows flickering over a building there. They had offered her and Genis beds in the inn, the only facility they were allowed to use. The younger of the Sage siblings had already retired to bed, as had most of the group, but Raine's thoughts were far too active to allow her to sleep.

Tomorrow, Kratos may well reach the end of his four thousand year life, by his own son's hand.

She wondered how he felt about that and she sudden felt a pang of longing in her chest to speak to him about what he was going to do. She might not be able to change his mind, but she could endeavour to see it from his side, to understand his mind a little better.

She sighed, passing through the silent village, catching sight of the inn, a single yellow light shining out through a window. The room Lloyd was staying in. By the looks of it, he was still awake. Not that she could blame him. Thinking the boy might appreciate the chance to speak with someone who seemed to understand Kratos more than anyone; she entered the inn, rapping quietly on his door before pushing her way in.

"Are you still up?" She asked quietly to the teen. He was lying on his bed, on his back, still dressed, staring at the ceiling. He sat up at her question.

"…I couldn't really get to sleep."

"In that case, would you like to join me outside?"

"Ok then, just for a little while."

She nodded, understanding that the boy needed his rest and she led the way outside to a grove within the village where a log bench had been set. She sat down on it, a nearby lamp colouring her hair golden blonde, moths skimming around it.

She looked up at the moon in the sky and smiled softly, a quiet laugh of joy escaping her lips, despite the situation. Lloyd looked over to her at the sound of her laugh.

"It really brings back so many memories…" she explained at his glance.

"What does?"

"This village."

The expression on Lloyd's face remained blank.

"Oh, have you forgotten? Genis and I were born here."

He nodded. "Oh yeah. That's right."

"I never realized that there were two separate worlds. …Now all my research seems so meaningless." She mused.

Lloyd, for once, seemed to catch on to what she was saying.

"So the reason you were interested in old ruins was…"

"I was searching for the images from my childhood. Heimdall, the Otherworldly Gate…everything was over here, in Tethe'alla."

"I'm glad you finally found it, Professor."

"Should I be glad?" She asked, the question cynical even for her.

"But this is the village you'd been searching for, right? You finally found your homeland."

"…Yes. In the end, perhaps I should be glad…"

"What's wrong? Did I say something bad?"

She shook her head, smiling softly as Lloyd's simplistic view put here at ease.

"No. I'm glad I learned the truth instead of spending my entire life never knowing where my roots were."

"Your roots…I wonder where I was born?"

"You should ask Kratos when you get the chance." She suggested.

"Kratos? I couldn't talk to him about that…" His voice was doubtful and she wondered, if despite the fact that Lloyd seemed to have accepted Kratos back, if the betrayal was still on his mind. Or the concept of trying to accept your real father when you were already an adult, when he wasn't really needed anymore.

"That man has risked his life to protect you," Raine stated sternly "Think carefully what that means."

"But I don't understand what he's thinking!" Lloyd protested, reminding Raine of their teacher-student relationship. "Why did he just go along with what Mithos told him to do?"

"Who knows? But in protecting you, he acted against Mithos."

"He deceived us."

"People…change. For better or for worse."

"Then…then why does he still want to fight me?"

"Adults are troublesome creatures," Raine sighed. Sin and guilt went hand in hand with all adult emotions. The ability to rationalise, to think of others and to fall in love made them more difficult to deal with than a sixteen year old girl who had been denied access to either her boyfriend or a pony. "They aren't very good at admitting their mistakes. This is probably his way of settling things."

"…Settling things…" Lloyd mused before letting a faint smile flicker over his face, an expression Raine found reminiscent of the man they were discussing "Once it's over, I wonder if I'll be able to ask him about my roots."

"Perhaps…If you do find out where you were born, you should go there together."

She smiled and stood.

"Anyway, Lloyd, it's late and we both need our rest. I'm going to return to the inn."

Lloyd nodded. "Ok. I'll be there soon."

Concerned as she was for the boy, Raine nodded and made to walk away when a rustling in the bushes, not caused by her, caught her attention and she stopped just outside the ring of trees, peering through to where the boy was sitting.

Zelos seemed to have magically appeared before him and she stopped, knowing she shouldn't eavesdrop, but wanting to know what he had to say for himself. And more importantly, to Lloyd.

Lloyd looked questioning at the red head.

"Zelos? What are you doing here at this time? I thought you'd gone to bed."

Zelos face was surprisingly stern.

"I'll get right to the point," he stated "What's up with this Kratos guy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Doesn't he piss you off?!"

Raine balked slightly at the anger in Zelos' voice.

"Why are _you_ so mad?" Lloyd questioned and Raine understood. Lloyd, confused as he was, was not angry at Kratos as such. He merely didn't understand. The fact that Zelos was enraged at his actions, however, was intriguing.

"He's done all this stuff to us. Turned against us and even betrayed his own son. Damned right I'm mad!"

Lloyd stared incredulously at Zelos, unaware that he was mirroring Raine's expression and thinking the exact same thing.

"Um…do you really think you're in a position to be mad?"

"We don't need to talk about me. I'm really good at conveniently forgetting things like that!"

"That's hardly something to brag about."

"I think…parents are there to protect their children." Zelos murmured. Raine, for once, shared his view.

"Well…yeah."

"But this guy, he just goes back and forth, like he can't make up his mind. Doesn't he realize that it only hurts you? And then after all that, he challenges you to a duel?! What kind of family turns swords against one another?! This whole thing's nuts!"

"Yeah...well, I guess that's true..."

"You certainly don't seem that worked up about it. Doesn't he piss you off?"

"Well, right now, you're mad enough for the both of us."

"I hate parents like that. Parents who just jerk their kids around for their own convenience."

Raine had heard enough and she turned away from the conversation, leaving the two males to talk in private. She knew Kratos' failings and in all honesty, despite the fact that she knew the truth about her own past now, it still brought back painful memories of her mother.

She made her way to another secluded area, suddenly not wanting to return to the inn and so it was a short time later that she saw Lloyd return to the inn, she herself sitting in shadow, unnoticed. She wondered where Zelos had got to.

"Not like you to be lurking in shadows, Professor."

She jumped at the voice before turning her head slowly to look at him, choosing to remain silent, a raised eyebrow questioning his presence.

"What are you doing out so late?" She asked eventually.

He shrugged. "Needed some air. Wanted to see if Lloyd was ok."

"I see."

"What do you make of this whole shebang, Professor?"

"Shebang?"

"This dealio with Kratos. I mean, what's he thinking?"

"How should I know?"

"Well…not to put too fine a point on it but…you seem to understand an awful about him, compared to the rest of us."

"Do I?"

"Well…you seem to understand his motives more…and give him the benefit of the doubt more, even if it is hidden behind logic and reasoning, unlike Lloyd's mindless optimism."

She remained silent once again.

"And then…there were all those little hints."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh you know, Raine. The way you could barely take your eyes off him whenever we ran into him, the way that you defend him among the group, but hated him when he was around, the way you went quiet when the betrayal was mentioned when everybody else ranted and raved about him."

"What are you getting at Zelos?"

"Oh, and did I mention the way that you disappeared off with him after Forcystus' ranch and came back in a much better mood. And finally…that little secret midnight meeting in Flanoir. That little kiss you shared."

She froze, stiffening.

"The two of you are a couple." He stated bluntly.

"No."

"Then there's something going on. Or something has gone on before, because he was desperate to get to you earlier today."

"What business is it of yours?"

"It isn't. I just found it interesting that no-one else knows about the two of you, though I get the impression that the brat and Sheena knew something."

"We were in a relationship before he betrayed us. That's all."

"And there's nothing going on now?"

"…There is but it is not…an official relationship. And it hardly matters, considering what's going to happen tomorrow."

Zelos remained silent.

"Why did you ask, anyway?"

"Like I said, I found it interesting that no one else knew."  
"It didn't make any sense to tell anyone that we were in a relationship that was going to end. They wouldn't understand. And now…"

"There's no point?"

"Exactly."

She stood, intending to go into the inn, when Zelos' comment stopped her.

"You should have told someone. Even if only so someone could've helped you through those harder times."

"Thank you for your concern, Zelos, but I assure you, I am fine." She left without further comment, leaving Zelos alone.

"Whatever you say, Professor."

--

Dawn broke over the world in slow filtering rays, the sun washing darkness from the sky as an artist would paint a watercolour. Clouds drifted in lazy, hazy layers over the sky, their soft white and dull grey tones eventually concealing the colours.

Kratos watched with mild interest, sitting against Origin's pillar, his head tilted back, dew settling on his hair and clothing. It gave him the appearance of having a very slight shimmering silver outline, until his body's warmth slowly evaporated the miniscule droplets. Garnet eyes slid shut for a second, chest rising with an exaggerated breath.

The very epitome of peace and calm to anyone watching. Except for his left hand, resting against damp grass, a single white finger tapping against the earth in a morse code rhythm, waking the worms that lay below.

He opened his eyes after a moment, looking upwards again, before around at the glade, taking in the detail of the trees with only a casual, fleeting interest. For someone who was more than likely to die that very day, he was somewhat flippant with his last few hours. But then…he had seen a sunrise and sunset a thousand times or more. He had seen every tree and every blade of grass in every type of weather, at every time of day or night. Why should one more example be of anymore interest, just because it was the last time he should see it?

There were only a few things that it mattered for him to see now and they would be arriving presently.

He unsheathed Flamberge from its scabbard, having set aside his usual non-descript long sword for this final battle, and studied its curved blade, the sweep of the deadly golden edge. A slight press of his fingertip against it and his skin split, a thin trail of blood welling where the metal had pressed. He wiped the liquid away with his thumb before looking over the blade again, letting his eyes scan the shimmering red of the blade's main body. The faintest sense of heat emitted from the blade but upon handling it, the metal was as cool as any sword. He smiled faintly in satisfaction for the marvellous weapon. It was a gift from an elven blacksmith from many millennia ago, the finest blade ever made, given to the only person he deemed fit to use it. Elves rarely fashioned blades, prefer swift arrows or powerful magic to the harsh cruelty that the bite of a sword brought but nevertheless, the weapons they did forge were rarely flawed and this was of exceptional quality and design, even for an elven blade.

Kratos hoped that he would have time to pass it onto his son, should the boy's skill prove worthy of the blade. He had once planned to give it to Mithos, but he had long since turned from using blades and…he was no longer worthy of it, anyway.

He wondered how they would take his death, Lloyd and Raine. He wondered if Raine would ever let anyone know about the relationship or if it was a secret that she would take to her own death. He couldn't blame her if she never did, he would not want to shame her by letting everyone know that she held such strong affection for such an unworthy, sinful person.

Time slowly wound by and Kratos found himself growing impatient, a reminder that even he had his own reservations about today. He had no choice though. He stood, wiping his dark clothing free of grass, the backs of his thighs damp and he grimaced slightly at the feel.

Suddenly, movement ahead of him caught his eye and he resheathed his sword, watching as a small brown ring tailed animal dashed past him, stopping and squeaking before dashing into the woody borders of the glade. The animal's disturbance was a clear sign of the group's presence, they always dashed straight for the deepest part of the wood as a way of protecting themselves. Colette would no doubt think that the animal was guiding them to him, that he had some sway over the animals in the forest. The thought amused him.

"It went up here! I wonder if he'll take us to Kratos soon."

The high, clear voice was unmistakably Colette's and he rolled his eyes, pulling his gloves a little tighter on his hands, watching the entrance intently. Within a few minutes he picked up the distinctive red of Lloyd's jacket and he pulled himself upright.

His son strode into the clearing, his gait confident, his eyes hard and concentrated on his target. Kratos folded his arms.

"So you've come." He stated, hoping that his voice wouldn't give anything away to the boy.

"Is there no other way?"

"Are you still thinking like that?" he charged, hoping that the aggression and derision in his voice would spark off the boy's pride, would make him face him as an enemy and not a son. "You'll die if you fight me with any doubt left in your heart. If you want the pact with Origin, then you must defeat me."

"So that's your way," Lloyd turned back to look at the rest of the group "Everyone. Leave this to me."

Kratos' eyebrows lifted "You're going to fight alone?"

"Lloyd won't lose," Colette stated, her fists balled with her conviction "Lloyd bears the weight of all the lives that you and Cruxis sacrificed."

"Don't underestimate him," Genis warned. "He didn't run. He didn't give up. By that alone, he's already beat you. I believe in him."

Sheena nodded in agreement. "You'd better prepare yourself! Lloyd possesses more strength than you imagine. He's not the same Lloyd you knew back when you were with us. But you already know that, don't you? You see his potential."

Zelos grinned.

"This guy's really stubborn, simple-minded, and tough as nails. So he's more than a match for you all by himself. But anyway…try your best."

Zelos' words almost made the older red-head smile. Such faith even this excuse for a friend had in him.

"Lloyd is not alone. We are always with him. Even if we do not take up our weapons," Presea looked up at Lloyd. "We fight…alongside him."

Regal took a step towards the front of the group, his eyes locking onto Kratos.

"You and Lloyd most certainly should duel one-on-one. …Is that not the closure you desired? You are…even less capable than I am at expressing your feelings."

Raine, having listened to all the group, knowing, just as Kratos did, that every word that had been spoken was true, looked up at her one-time lover. She may still have held feelings for him, but in some respects, she was stronger than Kratos. She would not watch the world go up in flames for the sake of affection for one person.

"You're about to witness something remarkable…The sight of your own son surpassing you. Lloyd is…our hope."

Kratos lowered his eyes for a second in understanding, the only movement he had made in the time he had listened to all his son's friends' speech.

Lloyd met his eyes squarely, brown staring into brown.

"If it's your wish to settle things with your past, then it's my duty as your son to see it through."

Red gloved hands grasped at metal handles, smoothly and slowly pulling the slender silver blades free, He took a few steps forwards into the designated battle area, the others falling back to a safe distance and he pulled the blades up in front of him, his hands perfectly steady.

"Get ready!"

"I'm not going to hold back this time." Kratos warned.

"I know. I won't either."

The two Aurion men charged at each other like starving beasts released from their cages, eyes locked onto each other, aware of nothing but the other man. Kratos lifted Flamberge, thrusting the blade towards his son, all pretence of practice and teaching gone. The boy was on his own now.

Lloyd skidded to a halt as he saw Kratos' right arm begin to lift the blade, boots churning into the grass, slowing him enough for him to do a back flip away from the blade that was plunged towards his stomach, landing safely a few feet away. He gathered his thoughts instantly, charging back towards his father, his centre of mass lowered to increase his speed.

Kratos sank back, setting his weight firmly onto his heels, preparing to block the blow that Lloyd would deal, garnet eyes tracking every minor movement, his fist tightening about the hilt of Flamberge.

Lloyd leapt into the air suddenly, a cry of:

"Rising falcon!" accompanying the movement before he drove himself down towards his opponent, swords held in front of his body.

Kratos jumped back, swinging Flamberge in a horizontal arc that smashed into Lloyd's Angel Tear blades, the force pushing the teen off course to land heavily on the ground. He rolled upright immediately, panting, his ribs aching where they had struck the floor, but his swords still firmly clasped in his hands.

The older man took advantage of Lloyd's momentary pause, racing towards his boy, thrusting Flamberge forwards again.

"Lightning blade!"

Electricity coursed down from the heavens, sparking through the air.

"Guardian!"

The shimmering green orb appeared around Lloyd for just a few seconds, warding off the lightning's licking bolts and the barrier had barely disappeared before Lloyd leapt forwards once more, one blade slashing horizontally, the other vertically.

The fire-blade of Kratos snapped to attention, smashing into one of the twin blades with a harsh clang before being stopped mid-air and swung back the other way. Too late.

Kratos grimaced feeling the slim metal point slide along the skin of his abdomen, carving a thin, curving path, just a few inches long. It wasn't a dangerous injury, it wouldn't weaken him by any means but it meant one thing. First blood had been drawn.

Lloyd pulled his blade back, quickly retreating from the man, taking on his defensive stance, watching Kratos intently as the man's mouth set into a concentrated frown. His sword was held up in front of him and that could only mean that he was casting a spell. An earth spell from the looks of the brown runes swirling about his feet.

The younger swordsman dashed forwards, assuming that it would take Kratos some time to cast the spell, that he could disrupt the spell and get a few blows in. He was unfortunately proved wrong. About ten paces from Kratos, the ground suddenly erupted beneath Lloyd's feet, throwing him into the air as the word 'grave' echoed about him. Huge spears of black rock shot from the ground, the highest one reaching up to Lloyd, slamming itself into his back and sending him spinning higher into the air, howling in pain. He hit the floor moments later, the rocks sinking back into the earth.

Lloyd grunted, staggering upright, feeling blood sliding down his back from where the rock had impacted. He was lucky it had not shattered his spine and Lloyd suddenly realised just how dangerous the situation was, just how close he was to being killed.

He glared up at Kratos, taking a few paces back and just studying the man for a second until the other took his opportunity to attack, throwing a double demon fang at him. Lloyd jumped over the attacks easily, his senses honing in on Kratos' every movement.

Kratos trotted back from the boy before side-stepping around him, circling him. Lloyd lunged towards him, blades ready and they met mid-air gold clashing with tinted silver for a second before being pulled away. They reconnected again a second later, a series of blow after blow after blow, each one blocked or parried with no consequence, each perfectly matched.

Lloyd growled low in his throat with frustration. He needed to end this as soon as possible before both strength and resolve gave out and he suddenly gave a hard shove on the locked blades, breaking the complex they had formed and he leapt in the air again, performing rising falcon, landing behind Kratos, his blade just nicking the other man on the arm.

Kratos spun, kicking out at his son as he recovered from his special attack, the blow knocking the boy to the floor and he rolled over onto his back, evading the swipe of a sword before twisting his leg to kick out at Kratos. The older man jumped back, giving Lloyd time to grab at the blades he had lost. He hadn't, however, managed to climb to his feet and Kratos bore down on him.

Blade locked to blade again and Kratos pushed down against Lloyd's struggling arms, all his weight being taken by the boy. Red clad arms sank towards the floor, slowly tiring and Kratos prepared himself to strike. Instead he found himself being shoved away roughly, staggering backwards from the force of the push Lloyd had just given him, feeling his back hit the floor as sword sliced neatly into the back of his knee, causing his leg to buckle.

He had only a moment to bring his sword up and smash the blade descending towards his head away from him before rolling to his feet. He spun to face Lloyd.

"Super lightning blade!"

Lightning and wind this time and Lloyd had no choice but to simply hold up his blades. The electricity channelled into them and he dropped the swords a moment later before they had a chance to electrocute him. But that left him weapon less against a dangerous enemy and he swallowed, glaring at the man who was prowling in on him. There was nowhere to run. Origin's stone behind him, his father before him and there was only one thing he could do: perform a monumentally stupid move and hope that Kratos would be so surprised that he couldn't attack.

He lowered his mass again, shoving his shoulder out forwards and charging for the man, his eyes flicking up to see Kratos' surprised face for just a second before he barrelled into him, his shoulder driving the wind from his lungs.

Kratos staggered gasping as Lloyd, behind him, gathered up his swords and charged once more.

"Super sonic thrust!"

The blade pierced his left shoulder, sinking through flesh and narrowly avoiding bone until it protrude from the front side of Kratos' body. He growled, whipping around to face Lloyd, only to find the boy was not where he had thought he would be.

His head snapped towards the thud of footsteps just in time to see Lloyd once more, face dark and determined, blade raised and slicing down at him in a heavy diagonal slash across his chest. He felt flesh tear and blood pour, felt pain and blood and mana rush to the wound as Lloyd jumped away and he turned to face him, standing before shocked, pale faces of his friends.

Kratos grunted, reaching behind himself and grasping Lloyd's blade, wrenching it from his shoulder and tossing it to him before sinking to his knees, his sword dropping from his hand. Breath came in rasping pants as he looked up at his son standing before him.

"You've grown strong." He stated, his voice strained with pain.

"Thanks to you."

"Aren't you," he swallowed thickly "going to finish me?"

Lloyd's eyes softened as he looked at the almost crippled man before him and he sheathed his swords, shaking his head.

"I defeated Kratos, the angel, the one who betrayed us. And I forgive Kratos, the hero of the Ancient War, who helped us. That's all."

Kratos snorted.

"And I thought I'd finally earned the right to die. …But you're as soft-hearted as ever."

Clasping a hand over his chest wound he wobbled to his feet, his body protesting at the movement, wounds screaming as he turned away from the boy, limping to the huge stone that stood in the glade, looking up at its engraved black surface.

"H…hold on!" Lloyd called, desperation in his voice "You can't be…are you going to break the seal?"

"That is what you desire, is it not?"

"But then, you'll…"

The seraph released his wings before Lloyd could finish his sentence, great panes of blue materialising behind him. He heard gasps faintly as the area began to glow with the mana that was escaping his body at an alarming rate and his heart seized in his chest as the organ seemed to realise what was about to occur. It stopped a second later and Kratos took a gasped final breath, eyes snapping open wide for a moment before darkness enclosed on his vision and his body fell back, coldness taking hold as mana flowed out of his body.

--

Raine blinked, blood draining from her face as she saw white and blue mana streak into the air from Kratos' body, the man staggering back and collapsing a moment later.

"Kratos!"

Heads snapped towards the origin of the noise and Raine looked around at stunned faces of her colleagues. Her eyes flicked back to Kratos and up to the man now cradling his body, warm yellow light emitting from the left hand placed over the other man's chest.

"Raine?"

She looked to Genis whose eyes were wide with concern before turning back to the scene unfolding before her, Kratos taking a deep, shuddering breath. She walked towards the men, aware of Zelos' smug smirk, ignoring Lloyd's look of shock and Yuan's almost pitying, understanding smile.

Sinking to her knees beside Lloyd, she looked at her lover, his chest rising and falling with short sharp breaths.

"Don't worry, he's alive. I gave him some of my mana." Yuan explained quietly. For once, Raine didn't wonder why, she was merely pleased that Yuan had turned up.

Garnet eyes slid open slowly, focusing first on the face of Yuan, then to the man and woman at his side. Lloyd shifted forwards.

"Da…" he stopped and swallowed "Kratos. Are you really ok?"

"Looks like I failed to die once more."

"You stupid jerk!"

The words caused Raine to look up at Lloyd, annoyed by them, but she understood. She was mad at the man for being so flippant with his life too.

"You can die any time! But when you die, that's the end."

Yuan frowned, looking at the boy.

"You want him to live in eternal damnation?"

"Who said anything like that?! What will you accomplish by dying? Nothing! There is no meaning in dying!!"

Brown eyes cleared for a second.

"You're…right. To think, I had to have my son teach me such an obvious lesson."

The words seemed to take any strength Kratos had left in him and he fell limp into Yuan's arms, his eyes shut. Raine sat upright, peering at him, aware of just how low his mana levels were.

"Kratos…"

Yuan looked at her. "Kratos will be fine," he soothed before looking at Lloyd who was still staring at his body with wide eyes. "Form the pact with Origin."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it, we're almost at the end people! I'm estimating about 2 or 3 more chapters, depending on what I can cram into each one. Next chapter should be a little more emotional and have a lot of stuff between Kratos and Raine.

:)


	41. Beginning of the End

A.N: Ok peeps, this is the penultimate chapter (excluding an epilogue).

Enjoy!

* * *

Beginning of the End

Kratos blinked blearily, sunlight beating down on his closed eyelids and he winced at the white light shining into them. His body felt heavy, his shoulder and chest sore but awareness was slowly seeping back into his fogged mind. He was pressed against something firm and warm, an arm supporting his shoulders.

Garnet eyes slowly opened, becoming aware of a flash of almost blinding electric blue, a pair of piercing green eyes staring down at him. Yuan. His expression was oddly softened as he looked down at him and for just a moment Kratos was reminded of the time when they had travelled together four thousand years ago. When they had still been friends.

"Take it easy, Kratos."

He looked up at someone else a moment later.

"Perhaps…you would be a better person to be doing this."

Kratos tilted his head back, finding that the person Yuan had been speaking to was another half-elf. Raine to be precise. His mouth opened slightly but he found himself unable to gather any words. She shook her head, walking forwards and settling herself beside him, one hand supporting his head, the other laying over his shoulder wound, healing it, before moving to his chest.

The warmth instantly made him feel somewhat more lucid and he pushed himself out of Yuan's arms to sit upright, feeling Raine's hand on his upper back, supporting him. He looked about. Lloyd's entire group surrounded him, Yuan and Raine, various expressions playing over faces.

Genis, Sheena and Zelos looked far too smug for their own good. Colette looked ecstatic whereas Regal looked mildly stunned. Presea's expression remained blank but it was Lloyd's expression that mattered to him. Shock and uncertainty. He didn't seem sure whether he should smile or shout. That was enough for him to deduce exactly what the group had found out.

Finally, after months of a secret relationship founded in shadow and secrecy, it was brought to light with his near death. He wasn't sure whether to be thankful or not.

Yuan's hands shifted, pulling one of Kratos' arms over his shoulder before dragging the taller man to his feet. Raine's hand remained on his back for a moment until he steadied himself. It retreated soon after.

"Has the pact been made yet?" he asked, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"No," Raine answered, "Lloyd was just about to. You haven't been unconscious for more than a few minutes."

Lloyd looked up to the others.

"Can I go for it now?"

"Yes, Lloyd, go ahead."

They turned their attentions from Kratos and Raine to Lloyd and Origin's seal simultaneously. Lloyd nodded, walking forwards a few steps. With the seal broken, Origin reacted to the presence before him and he materialised into the air above the stone.

He was a hard, impressive figure, a sleek hugely muscled form that dwarfed even Regal's physique. Blonde hair flowed down his back, swept away from a hard, stern face. Perhaps the most noticeable element of his appearance, however, was his arms. All four of them to be exact, two crossed haughtily over his chest, the other two hanging by his sides, tensed, his fists clenched.

"You who lack the right," he spoke, his voice deep, resonating with power. Raine wondered if even Kratos felt insignificant in his presence. "I have lost faith in all things. Have you come here to disappoint me as well?"

Lloyd swallowed before meeting Origin's grey eyes.

"Origin. Are you bound by a pact with Mithos?"

"My pact with Mithos was broken the moment I was freed. Never again shall anyone make use of my power."

Sheena dashed forwards, alarmed by the words. Kratos swallowed. He had guessed that Origin would be…disappointed in Mithos, but to think that he would never have any faith in people again…. He couldn't blame him, but it was so crucial now…

"Even if we make a vow? We need the Eternal Sword!"

Origin glared down at them, his face become sterner, though he gave no answer.

"I want to use the Eternal Sword to reunite the two worlds and revive the Giant Kharlan Tree! Unless we do something, the worlds will never stop vying for mana and everyone will suffer!"

"That situation was born from the weakness of creatures who are unable to accept those that are different."

"That may be true, but mistakes can be corrected."

"Some things cannot be corrected."

"Even so…" Colette spoke up. "We have to do everything we can."

"Exactly," Lloyd agreed "I'm not gonna give up. From the moment they are born, everyone has the right to live. I want to reclaim that. Humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, and even Summon Spirits… Everyone has a right to life!"

Stirred by the words Kratos looked up to the Summon spirit floating above him.

"Origin…"

He shrugged Yuan's arm off his shoulders, staggering forwards to stand beside Lloyd. He stumbled as he did so and Lloyd threw an arm out, catching the older man. Kratos nodded in thanks before straightening, aware that Lloyd's hand didn't leave his shoulder. He didn't protest against the contact, for once.

"For almost an eternity, I thought that the only way to save this world was to cling to Mithos' ideals. Just as you once agreed with Mithos' ideals, I, too, thought his was the only way," he looked down at his son. "But Lloyd is different. He taught me that in order to change something, you must do it yourself."

He looked back to Origin.

"It is not enough to merely rely on someone else and go along with their ideals."

Origin remained silent for a moment before looking at Kratos suspiciously. Raine also glanced at him and as she did, she saw an expression on his face she had not witnessed before. Hope. He was doing everything he could for his son in that moment, to help him achieve what he was so desperate to.

Origin's head turned towards Sheena.

"You who possess the right of summoning. Make your vow."

"Origin!" Lloyd exclaimed "Then…"

"I will try once more to believe in people. I shall do my duty in order to create a world you speak of—a world in which everyone can live equally."

Lloyd smiled while Sheena strode forwards, past the father and son, looking up at the King of the Summon spirits.

"I, Sheena, have but one vow. To reclaim a world in which everyone can live freely… A world in which no life is sacrificed meaninglessly! That's all."

"Then we shall create a pact upon that vow. Now, fight!"

--

Origin's style of fountain, Kratos found, had not changed in four thousand years as he watched Lloyd and three of his companions fight the summon spirit. It was little surprise…he had been sealed away for four thousand years, and so had had no one to fight. Not that people hadn't tried to get to Origin before…but none of them had ever made it past Kratos. Mithos had chosen the seal's guardian well.

"Your boy's grown strong over these last few months." Yuan commented offhandedly, watching them fight, Raine as ever healing the group.

Kratos grunted in response, still feeling the effects of his drained mana. Still, watching Lloyd fight for what he believed in, for what he had made his own father believe in. Even Yuan's usually cynical demeanour had dropped for a more hopeful one with the boy's determination and belief.

Origin went down with a final spell and attack combo from Lloyd and Genis, crumbling before them.

He looked up to Sheena as he fell.

"Pact-maker Sheena…and Lloyd. I place my power in your hands."

After a moment, he rose into the air again.

"With that power, transform the Eternal Sword into a blade to save all life! However," he shook his head "the Eternal Sword remains, as by Mithos' pact, unusable by those who lack the blood of elves. You must master the sword by your own power and forge a new bond with it."

Focusing his power into a small diamond, Origin faded from the air above their heads, leaving the group to revel in their accomplishments.

"You did it, Lloyd…" Genis grinned, running over to his friend. Raine watched the boy with a soft smile as he ran towards his friend, but her smile dropped after only seconds. Genis had frozen in mind-run with a cry of pain and surprise as something flew from his pocket, the small object attaching itself purposefully to Lloyd.

Kratos' lips parted in surprise and Yuan gasped, staggering upright from where he was seated on the ground, green gaze fixed on the ghost-like figure that had appeared behind Lloyd.

"Mithos!"

"There's no time…" Mithos murmured, his small figure shifting "I'll take your body!"

The apparition merged into Lloyd's body, causing the boy to scream out in protest. Raine started forwards, horrified.

"No! He survived in the Cruxis Crystal. Lloyd's body will be taken over unless we do something!"

Raine's words stirred something within Colette, the girl's protective instincts for her best friend getting the better of her and she rushed towards her childhood friend.

"Lloyd!"

She snatched the Cruxis crystal pressed against Lloyd's skin without thought, her movements so sudden that no one could stop her. Instantly Mithos' transferred between hosts.

"Damn, you interfered! Fine. I'll just take this body."

"Mithos! Stop!" Kratos barked.

Narrowed blue eyes turned on Kratos, their glare an alien expression on Colette's pretty face.

"Kratos…you never really understood me. I won't return this body."

Had the situation been different, had he had time to think, Mithos' words would have stung Kratos'. As it was, he only had time to watch Lloyd's reaction, his protection for his son winning out over Mithos'.

"Colette!" he screamed "Wait! Let her go!"

Mithos laughed cruelly. "What do I care? I'm leaving this filthy world behind!"

The blonde teleported out of sight a moment later and Kratos took in a breath, turning away from the spot where Colette had disappeared to stare up at the Tower of Salvation. With Mithos' control of the Eternal sword lost with the new pact Origin had formed, its power over the tower no longer existed and no tower that tall could stand on its own. Yuan was staring up at it too, lips parted as four thousand years of history began to crack and crumble.

Fractures webbed over its surface, light beginning to shine out between the spreading cracks. The first chunk fell, plummeting down to earth from thousands of feet above, the stone gathering speed, heating as it plunged through the atmosphere. It impacted with a resounding boom that seemed to shake the foundations of the earth and rattled the bones of all those standing upon it.

"We have to get back to Heimdall and evacuate the elves, immediately!" Kratos called.

For once, there was no questioning of his command and Lloyd sprinted forwards, urging the group on. They followed dashing through the woods, Kratos and Yuan taking up the rear as the larger man struggled to maintain a fast pace in his weakened state. Yuan loped along beside him, supporting him just enough to stop him being left behind. He panted as they broke into the clearing of the village.

It lay in ruins. Thatched roofed buildings smouldered and smoked, their roofs smashed by huge chunks of stone that had fallen from the tower. The paths were ruined, blocked and cracked and more than once the group had to smash blocks many times their size to free the elves trapped in the village and clear their own path. They congregated in the woods once they had checked all the elves, including the village elder, had evacuated.

Yuan looked up to where the tower had once stood. The sky seemed strangely empty without it.

"Well…that's the path to Derris-Kharlan gone. It's sealed off without the tower."

A sudden rumble, similar to thunder magnified a thousand fold, sounded from above them, cutting off any response to Yuan's comment and heads snapped up simultaneously.

Something huge and purple was billowing above them, engulfing the blue sky, columns of lightning sparking down to the earth, the colours swirling within the giant…whatever it was.

Lloyd's jaw dropped open.

"What is that?!"

"That…" Kratos wiped a thin sheen of sweat from his forehead "Is Derris-Kharlan."

"Impossible!" Raine countered "How could a planet exist so close?!"

Yuan turned his head to look at her, hair sliding from over his shoulder, down his back.

"It is the Eternal Sword that makes the impossible possible." He answered simply.

At the group's mutually confused faces he sighed and turned to face them fully.

"It was hidden by the protective barrier projected from the Tower of Salvation. But it has always existed there, for four thousand years."

A rustle of foliage behind them caused the group to turn and there, emerging from the deep green leaves of the forest, was Tabatha. Her peridot green eyes were hard with worry.

"Yes," she confirmed "And now, Mithos, with the Great Seed in hand, is trying to leave this land and take Derris-Kharlan with him."

"Wait a minute," Sheena demanded "Wait a minute. Derris-Kharlan is a mass of mana. And the Great Seed is the seed of the Giant Tree, right? If he takes both of them, what's gonna happen to this world?"

"It will wither and die from mana deprivation." Raine stated flatly.

Genis rubbed at his temples.

"This is a much bigger problem than reuniting the worlds!"

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Zelos snapped, his pale face angry "Our friend just got kidnapped! What are we gonna do, Lloyd?!"

"Zelos is right. We have to rescue Colette."

Yuan rolled his eyes. Surely saving the world came first?

"How? The Tower of Salvation was destroyed." Raine asked.

"Use the Eternal Sword," Kratos answered "If you really made a pact with Origin, with its power over time and space…"

"But Altessa is not well enough to move. Who is going to craft the Ring of the Pact?" Yuan pointed out.

Lloyd looked confused for a moment, as if trying to remember something before it finally clicked.

"Dad!"

"Dirk?" Genis questioned.

"Yeah. He's our only hope. We'll go to Sylvarant!"

"Wait," Kratos swallowed "I'm going with you."

There was a moment of silence from the group, as if they were trying to decide whether or not to except him back. Raine looked up at him, eyes half hopeful.

Lloyd nodded.

"All right."

The words seemed somewhat hesitant and Raine had to question just why he had let the man rejoin them…but then, she was about to contradict him. Kratos had…nowhere to go, now that he had essentially renounced Mithos and his knowledge would come in handy.

They made their way out of the forest as quickly as possible, leaving the elves to take care of the village on their own. Yuan took to the air, amethyst wings beating gently in the air. Kratos looked up at him doubtfully before shaking his head. With his mana reserves as low as they were there was no way he could use his wings.

As the others mounted their rheairds, Kratos hung back, for once looking like he didn't know what to do with himself. He was far too proud to ask for a ride, but he was helpless without one of the others being willing to carry him as passenger.

Raine looked over her shoulder to him before rolling her eyes and sliding forwards, making space for him on the back.

"I'm driving." She stated flatly before he had even started to climb onto the machine. The man said nothing, just perched himself onto the back of the rheaird.

They took to the air soon after, Yuan skimming alongside them, seemingly keeping pace with the machines easily. He perched on the back of Zelos' rheaird whilst they transferred through the dimensional void to Sylvarant. It was when they reached the other side that he paused in midair.

"I have issues that need attending to so I shall leave you here."

Lloyd let his rheaird hover.

"You're not coming with us?"

"You're rescuing your friend, which has nothing to do with me. Secondly, you have Kratos for any knowledge you may need about Derris-Kharlan. Thirdly…I have to shut down the Renegade bases. I'll leave the dimensional transfer system online. The rest is up to you."

"…Thanks, Yuan."

Yuan nodded "Just…reunite the worlds."

"No pressure then." Kratos commented offhandedly from the back of Raine's rheaird.

The blue haired seraph smirked, some foreign language rolling off his tongue. Kratos responded in the same language. With a nod and a smile that wasn't quite as cynical as usual, Yuan turned away to descend into the Triet renegade base.

The group hurried on north up to Dirk's house.

"What language was that?" Raine asked as they flew.

Kratos looked from the ground blurring below up to her.

"It was the language we spoke four thousand years ago."

"I thought that was the angelic language."

"It is the basis for the angelic language. The angelic language bears some resemblance to the Mercian language we speak now, when translated. The language we spoke then would not."

"So how old is the angelic language?"

"Approximately two thousand and five hundred years."

They flew on north the golden sands of the desert given away to the deep green of pastures and forests until one by one they descended in the Iselia woods, landing beside Dirk's house. Noishe, who had been left behind when they were last at Dirk's house, rushed forwards, howling in welcome at Lloyd and Kratos. The two men fussed the animal briefly before striding past him, Lloyd leading the way into his childhood home once more.

Dirk was standing over the furnace in the corner, stoking the fire, make flames rise higher when they entered, but he turned to look at his guests when he heard the door squeak open.

"Lloyd!"

"Hey dad."

"Have ya seen what's goin' on? The sky…it's…it's like it's being torn apart."  
"Yeah we've seen. Dad…I need to ask a favour of you…and it's really important. The world depends on it!"

Raine listened quietly, somehow managing to file into the house along with every other member of the group to listen to the conversation. Between them Kratos and Lloyd explained the situation…including the discovery of Lloyd's biological father, though Raine wasn't quite sure why the issue was brought up here and now. From his mildly amused expression, neither did Kratos. Dirk's face remained impassive at the news though his eyes flicked to Kratos.

"So you want me to forge the Ring of the Pact?" Dirk summarised "A dwarf who's losing his skills by living on the surface?"

"There's no one else," Kratos explained quietly "The dwarf that has the skills is unable to move."

"Dad…please!" Lloyd bagged.

Kratos shifted, pulling a wing pack from underneath his cape that Raine had not noticed early and placed it on the table.

"I've gathered all of the necessary items." He flipped the top of the bag up, allowing Dirk to pull the items out at his leisure. He set them out on the table methodically, naming them as he did.

"This is adamantite for polishing…" he murmured, his finger setting down atop the stone then flitting to a bundle of splints. "Hmm? What's this piece of wood?"

"Is this…sacred wood?" Lloyd asked.

"This must fuel the fire." Kratos answered simply.

"Is that why you were travelling all over Tethe'alla? To prepare all of this?"

The silent 'for me' hung in the air and Kratos shifted uncomfortable, a quiet clearing of his throat his only answer. He was not yet ready to assume the role of father, and admit to the affection he held for his son…especially not in the presence of the boy's foster father.

Dirk pressed on through the issue, as if to reinforce his presence, both in the room and in Lloyd's life. His upbringing.

"I see. So everything is set. I can't very well refuse after you've gone through so much trouble, now can I?" The question was rhetorical and almost scathing in its tone. "And I suppose it won't hurt me to help out my dearest son. After all…I'm his father, too."

Raine cringed inwardly, wondering if the sudden drop in temperature was just her imagination. Judging from the way the others shifted uncomfortably at this sudden standoff between dwarf and angel, she was not the only one to think so. Kratos, in typical stoic style, ignored the bait, red eyes meeting Dirk's brown ones calmly, his face betraying no emotion, save for his lips…stretched a little thinner than usual.

Dirk turned to the human boy before him.

"Dwarven Vow number one: Work together for the sake of a peaceful world. All right, let's do it."

They were all but thrown from the house by an insistent Dirk, who would only allow Lloyd and, grudgingly, Kratos to remain to watch and aid with the process. Raine sat in the dirt outside the little wooden house sullenly. She was a scholar, why wasn't she allowed to be privy to such things?

She did, however, reason that…the house was really rather small and they couldn't afford to have that many people inside at once. Eventually even Kratos made his way outside and he wandered over to Noishe instantly, speaking with the animal quietly. Zelos, unsurprisingly, threw a few comments about the man's mental state over to him, but as usual, they were studiously ignored.

They remained outside for some time until finally a cry went up from Lloyd inside the house.

"Ahh! It's hot!"

There was a quiet moment of laughter amongst the group as they all guessed exactly what the boy had done before he called them in. He presented the ring to them all, a thin gold band set with a red stone. It sat on his now reddening and blistered palm. Raine tutted healing it with a spell.

"With this, I'll be able to use the Eternal Sword, right?"

Kratos nodded before swallowing. He cleared his throat a second later and Raine suddenly became aware of the man's body language. He was nervous…

"Lloyd, I have a favour to ask."

"What is it?"

Kratos bit his lip momentarily before answering.

"Would you allow me to join your journey once more?"

Raine smiled at the question, wondering just what the man had been planning to do now and Lloyd grinned widely.

"Of course. I was hoping you'd say that."

A flicker of a smile passed over Kratos' face.

"Then, use this. We'll stop Mithos together."

Lloyd looked confused for a moment as Kratos put his hand to his hip and slowly slid Flamberge from its scabbard before presenting it to him, hilt first. Understanding finally dawned on Lloyd's face and he took hold of the sword, lifting it from his father's palm. Wide brown eyes lifted over the heated blade.

"That's a marvellous blade. I doubt you have a sword in your possession to match it." Dirk commented from behind Lloyd.

"Really?"

The dwarf smiled before reaching down to grab something he had hidden away, presenting it to him.

"Take this with you. It's a present I promised you. Now that you've grown all up, I can entrust you with the greatest sword I ever forged."

It was a blade equally as stunning as Kratos' Flamberge, if its polar opposite. Where Flamberge was solidified flame, the Vorpal blade was ice, though as light glinted over it, it appeared liquid. It was equal to the other blade in length, though double edged and ad Lloyd brought them together, Raine could've sworn she saw a spark pass between the blades.

"Wow…I'll become even stronger with these two swords," Lloyd breathed. "Thanks, Dad. And…Kratos."

--

They remained at Dirk's house for the rest of the day with the plan to set off to find Mithos at first light the next morning. According to Kratos, Mithos would not harm Colette, simply because it wouldn't prove useful for the moment. He was using her as transport, why would he essentially drive his own rheaird into the side of a mountain?

The rest gave them a useful opportunity to eat a decent meal in relative comfort. The food at Heimdall had been somewhat less than appetising to those with a carnivorous side. After all, elves were vegetarian by nature, they weren't about to murder an animal simply because they had guests. So they sat around the table at Dirk's house, Lloyd gorging himself on chunks of roast pork that had been carved straight from the hog that was rotating slowly above the fire. The rest ate in a more dignified and reserved manner, trading conversation until late in the evening, enjoying themselves as much as they could without Colette's presence.

Lloyd was proving not to be too good at it and he retired early for the evening, wishing everyone a goodnight before making his way up to his room to sleep. He was heard to be shouting goodnight to Noishe. The 'dog' howled in response.

No one felt the urge to prevent the boy from going to bed early. He had been through at least two extremely testing fights and had to combat his emotions as well. It was not surprising that his eyelids were seen drooping during the course of dinner.

Eventually, the rest of the group followed suit, one by one making their way upstairs to where makeshift sleeping mats had been laid out before them. Eventually only Kratos, Dirk and Raine remained awake, the dwarf acting merely out of politeness towards his guests. Not wanting to inconvenience the dwarf, who slept downstairs, they excused themselves from the room, making their way outside so that he could sleep.

The night was dull, seemingly with impending doom, though in truth it was simply from the massive planet above them that obscured the view of the heavens beyond it; the moon and stars which gave the world that ghostly, secret feeling only bestowed upon the dead of night. Only on the lovers that walked the earth at this time, were they not curled up together in bed but on a midnight stroll where no one could see them.

Raine tilted her head up to look at the planet above them. At the moment it merely seemed like the sky was slightly off colour, that some phenomenon was colour the clouds a faint purple…not that there was a giant roiling mass of mana above them on which was trapped one of their companions.

She sighed a little wistfully, wondering how, just six months ago she had had, for all intents and purposes, a perfectly normal life. Now she was about to take on an angel who had split the worlds asunder in order to reunite them…whilst being in a relationship with an angel who was the long lost father of her student.

Bizarre.

"Are you well?" Kratos asked quietly from her side.

"I'm fine just…thinking about how things have changed and how we've all been a part of it. The things I've done in these last few months…are inconceivable to me."

The seraph let out a noise that might have been a soft laugh.

"People have a way of not realising their full potential, even you Raine Sage. As confident as you are in your abilities…"

"I'm not infallible and I never had any delusions of grandeur."

"Did you expect to spend all of your thousand years teaching in a small village school?"

"No but…I never knew how I would get out of there. How I would go on to study and quench my intellectual desire…."

"Perhaps the regeneration journey we embarked on would have been the start of that, if things had gone according to plan."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps I would've returned and waited for Genis to mature before doing that. I was never keen to uproot him once we had found a home and friends in Iselia."

"In any case, what has happened has influenced the rest of your life. The question now is, where do you go from here?"

"I have a few ideas…"

"Which are?"

"…I was thinking on going on another journey, promoting the equality of half-elves."

"A worthwhile cause. Are you going alone?"

"I was planning on taking Genis with me…or if he wishes to go to an academy then I'm sure I will find some companion."

Kratos nodded, looking up at Derris-Kharlan briefly. He wandered away after a moment, making his way around the corner of the house to look at the gravestone that stood there. Raine followed quietly watching him for a moment before approaching to stand by his side.

"What are you going to do now?...and what about Lloyd?"

"Lloyd is an adult. He may need guidance here and there, but he has plenty of people to give him that."

"Are you not going to aid him with his journey to destroy the exspheres?"

"I don't feel my assistance will be needed. He is…his own man now and he has the strength and knowledge to see his task through. What should I be needed for? And why would I be called upon, when he has such a wealth of friends?"

"You're his father."

"But Dirk is his Dad."

Raine exhaled slowly.

"I am not abandoning him. Merely…doubting that he will need me."

"He accepts you Kratos, not only as a member of the group, but as his father too. He just needs to work up the courage to admit it. He's a proud boy and he didn't take your betrayal lightly."

"You know him somewhat better than me. Maybe you're right."

"I'm always right." Raine answered smugly. The seraph smiled softly for a moment before looking down to the grave again.

"You miss her."

"I…regret that I was not able to save her in the end. If anyone had to die that day it should have been myself."

"Fate has a cruel way of seeing things a different way."

"…She was thirty two when she died. How does fate see it fair that a young woman who had done very little wrong in her life gets to die instead of a supposed angel who has seen the world many times over…and become weary of it all."

"I don't believe that fate has a concept of fairness but simply…how things will play out, for better or for worse. Besides, we are not bound to fate. Not completely. Perhaps our births are pre-ordained, but I believe it is the choices we make that shape our lives. We cannot 'blame our fate' because we make our own fate. Have you learned nothing from Lloyd?"

"You are right. And though I make no excuses for myself…the beliefs and habits of a four thousand year lifetime are hard to break."

"I imagine so. In the same way that getting humans to accept half-elves will be laborious."

"It will happen. With you driving it, I am certain of that."

"Oh you charmer." She mocked sarcastically, her eyes light as she looked at him.

He shook his head, turning away from Anna's grave.

"…I have decided that I will not linger on the past…not anymore, not with everything I have learnt. I need to start afresh in all regards."

"Good. And you can show your support of that ideal by coming with us tomorrow."

"To undo Mithos' work, yes. It will be good to see the world as a whole again, as it once was, to see Aselia be reborn…"

"Aselia?"

"The former name of the old world, when it was one. When Tethe'alla and Sylvarant stood together…until the war came, at least."

Raine stood musing for a moment before she asked:

"How did the ancient war begin?"

Kratos smiled darkly.

"No one is entirely sure, is the truth to that. Some say it was with the birth of half-elves, some say it was simply an arms race using magitechnology and there are many more theories, none which have been proved. The war started long before even my birth. I was simply a knight, trained to protect my Queen and country."

"You were a knight?"

"Where do you think I learnt to fight in the first place? Like Lloyd, I may have some natural talent in combat, but also like him, raw potential still needs to be focused and moulded."

"So what country are you from originally?"

"Tethe'alla. I served under Queen Soleille until I met Mithos at which point I decided to travel with him."

"A strange choice to make given the position you were in." Raine commented.

"I have my reasons. All personal ones…"

"Ah…"

"Indeed. It is curious that some people seem to believe that in four thousand years of life, you and Anna are the only lovers I have taken."

Raine chuckled.

"I have no delusions about that."

He smiled softly.

"One of your many qualities, Miss Sage. You understand the way people work…even those of us who deviate from normal, for whatever reason we may have."

They fell silent for a moment, moving into the shelter of Noishe's stable as a chill wind blew through the small clearing of Dirk's home. The animal woke briefly, his ears twitching as eyes stared at them blearily, before Kratos lay a hand on the animal's forehead, hushing him back to sleep. The large head dropped back onto crossed green and white paws, yawning before sleep claimed him again.

"I wonder what will happen after tomorrow….assuming we are successful, of course." Raine murmured, lying back against the animal.

"That…even I cannot tell you. The world will be in turmoil for a time, of course. We cannot expect everything to be perfectly peaceful after such an upheaval. Tethe'alla will need to have a close watch kept upon it. The king, upon finding out Sylvarant has no government, will surely try to take advantage and claim the lands as his own…as drained as they are compared to Tethe'allas."

"So what will the world look like? How will the globe be reformed?"

"In all honesty…it has been so long that I have forgotten the former arrangement of the countries and all documents I have pertaining to that are in my chambers in Derris-Kharlan."

"Of course…do you realise that once Cruxis is fully gone…once we have defeated Mithos this last time, which we must, you'll be homeless and jobless?"

"I will survive and find something to do with myself, I am sure."

"I'm sure you will."

"Though I dare not assume anything at this point. We still have the task of defeating Mithos and restoring the worlds, and though Lloyd seems to be certain that we will manage to accomplish that…I feel we should air on the side of caution."

"A wise outlook."

"I would hope so."

Raine smiled again.

"Yuan will have to adjust too. Though he has been separated from Cruxis far more than me, but if he is used to having to guide the Renegades then he is in much the same position."

"…You were friends, weren't you?"

"Yuan and I? Of course. Just as Mithos and I were, once upon a time. I had thought my friendship with Mithos was stronger, even up until recent events, but it seems I was proved wrong."

"Mithos _used _you Kratos. He wasn't a companion of any sort…"

"I am aware. But Yuan and mine's friendship had always been something that was not well shown. He is…sarcastic and cynical, as you have seen and he took pleasure in winding me up. It wasn't until sometime after that I realised that was his way of showing he accepted me as a companion."

She chuckled.

"Men do have strange ways of showing their appreciation for each other. I have often noticed that Lloyd shows his affection for Genis by punching him."

"Sounds about right." Kratos muttered.

"Can I ask something about Yuan, though?"

"Hmm?"

"Before Botta died…he made some reference to laying Martel to rest, for Yuan's sake. And I have noticed Yuan makes a lot of reference to Martel being deceased already."

"I'm sure a woman of your intelligence can work that out."

"They were close…in love, perhaps?"

"They were engaged to be married. The engagement rings he wore once he had proposed to her is the memento he had of her. And I believe he lost that some months ago."

"Ah…I believe Lloyd has it. He picked up a ring with elvish writing on it, with the initial M and Y on the band at Hima."

Kratos nodded. "That would be it. It has been a struggle for Yuan to cope with Mithos' insanity over these last centuries…he was somewhat torn between the idea of having Martel so close to being reborn and what was right for sometime. Obviously, he decided in the end to go with what he knew was right, hence the creation of the Renegades."

"He did all that for her…"

"Four thousand years on. Love endures beyond the grave. He has not been in a relationship since she passed away, though he may have taken partners for…physical needs."

"I can't imagine grieving for someone for that length of time."

"Yuan found something in Martel. He came from a rather unpleasant background in his youth and had never really known true companionship. To find someone so giving of her affection, when he was reserved and pushed people away…it changed something in him."

"He must have suffered."

"As we all do. He dealt with it remarkably well, especially when you compare him to Mithos. Mithos was mature for his age…I cannot blame his actions entirely on him not being able to deal with death on account of his age."

"And so he became a menace."

"Indeed. He could have been and done so much more, but all heroes must fall and everything we know must change or fade."

"At least he may finally find some rest if we do our duty tomorrow. I suppose we can't forget that Mithos is a person too."

Kratos nodded, the conversation too personal for his liking to answer verbally as he thought of his student.

"Speaking of which," Raine murmured "I believe it's time I get some rest. So should you, you need to recover your mana levels."

"Do not fret. I was planning on retiring soon."

"Then will you accompany me back inside."

He nodded, standing and towering over her as he rose to his full height before they made their way inside the house again.

On the balcony outside Lloyd's room, Genis looked down at the couple and smirked smugly before slinking back inside to his bedroll, hoping to feign sleep effectively when the adults entered the room.

* * *

Ok hope it didn't disappoint. Next chapter should be up within the next two weeks (if work doesn't completely take over my life).


	42. Preparation

A.N: Howdy people. Ok, THIS is the second to last chapter now. There's one more after this and, depending on how much I can fit into the next one, maybe an epilogue too, maybe not. Anyhoo, sorry about the delay (again).

Enjoy!

* * *

Preparations

Lloyd awoke with a start, his skin damp with his sweat, chest heaving with heavy breaths. His dreams had been a mass of confusing images, fragments of memories from the months gone by….and just now and again, the flash of a brunette haired woman, her grey-blue eyes warm and friendly before she disappeared to images of Kratos' towering figure. He knew instinctively that the woman was his mother, Anna. What the dream meant, if anything, remained a mystery to him.

He rubbed his eyes, sitting up in his bed, looking out of the window. It was light outside, though it was a weak, misty light that spoke of the early hours of the morning that surfaced just after the colours of the sunrise had faded. Turning, he looked over the assembly of people gathered, sleeping, on his floor. Sheena lay beside his bed, Genis at the foot, positioned near Presea. Regal slept close to her, and Zelos behind him, as if Regal had positioned himself in order to protect Sheena from any midnight advances.

Raine, for once, wasn't in any danger of that. Kratos' new territory had been quite clearly staked with the events of yesterday, never mind the way he lay next to the teacher, his arm outstretched above his own head, as if to create a barrier between her and Zelos.

Lloyd frowned. He wasn't quite sure of what to make of this relationship between his teacher and father. Surely Kratos should stay faithful to Anna, even in death? But then…was it fair to make a person suffer because of his own beliefs? But then, if Kratos truly loved Anna, shouldn't his love remain strong for her beyond the grave? But if they made each other happy, who was he to stop them? And…was it possible for someone to be in love with two people equally?

Lloyd scrubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hands, confused by the issue. It was so complex that he couldn't decide on his own and he wondered if he should speak to someone about it…and whom? Kratos would, logically, be the best option. He was the one leaving behind one, admittedly deceased, partner for another and it was his mind that Lloyd felt the need to understand most. But Kratos was difficult to talk to about the most impersonal of issues…this…this was something he would have difficulty talking to Colette or Genis about. How could he possibly discuss it with his estranged father?

He sighed inwardly. The issue could wait, he supposed. Colette and reuniting the worlds were the most important issues now. If they didn't solve this problem, whether Kratos and Raine were in a relationship hardly mattered.

Nevertheless, Lloyd's eyes strayed to the sleeping couple.

"You wanna talk about it?" A voice asked quietly and Lloyd's head snapped to his white-haired friend at the question.

Lloyd shook his head.

"Not right now. I think I need to talk to Kratos about it first."

Genis nodded.

"Yeah. It is weird though, isn't it? I mean, I always had a hunch that there was something going on, before he betrayed us, but I didn't think they would still be involved after that…"

"That's not what's bothering me." Lloyd murmured.

"Your mom?"

"I don't…wanna talk about it right now, Genis. Besides, we need to focus on our task for today. That's more important right now."

"Yeah, you're right."

--

They arrived at the tower of Salvation, or what was left of it, in the early hours of the morning, the group having been roused by Lloyd and Genis.

Nerves and anticipation were clearly on display as they approached the destroyed tower. Sheena's hand played at the bell that hung around her neck, Corrine's memento and Lloyd was all too aware of the weight of the pendant that Kratos had given him resting on his chest.

They walked past huge chunks of grey stone that had fallen from thousands of feet in the air, the ground around them split, some still smoking very slightly.

The green-blue glass looking steps were cracked and shattered and the group paced up them doubtfully, save Kratos who stepped on them as if they were reinforced concrete. Even Raine felt his confidence was misplaced.

She was pleased to note, however, that he was walking with his usual ease and his mana level seemed nearly back to normal.

Her eyes scanned the area before them as Kratos stepped to the side, noting that the only feature left of the inside of the tower was the dais that held the Eternal sword.

It was as Lloyd approached the sword, the Eternal ring set firmly upon his finger, that the blade's form faded from sight, breaking down into streams of colour that made for Lloyd, wrapping about the blades that his fathers had given him.

He drew them as the power transferred, watching the metal blades pulse slightly with the new found power.

Origin, sensing the shift in power, spoke from the realm in which the summon spirits resided when not in the material world.

"You, who possess the new right. What do you ask of me?"

Lloyd paused, looking around at the rest of the group. One by one, they gave their consent and he turned back to face the dais.

"Carry us to Derris-Kharlan." He ordered simply.

"Understood."

Wrapping about them, the power of the Eternal sword carried the group to Derris-Kharlan. Or a part of it, anyway.

Kratos informed them, as they materialised that they had been placed in the 'bowels' of Derris-Kharlan, a network of paths that ran under the city and served no purpose, other than an outlet and another access route.

Lloyd had to admit, he was glad of Kratos presence. Without him, they would have spent hours wandering along the paths trying to find their way to the warp point that would lead them to the city of Welgaia. With Kratos' knowledge, it took a mere hour.

Finally reaching the end they took a warp pad into a large, empty chamber. The walls and fluted columns before them all had a faintly purple tinge and Raine looked around for a moment as Lloyd led them towards the next warp pad. There seemed to be no problem, nothing to stop them…or at least nothing to stop Lloyd, anyway. The rest of the group, however, seemed to have encountered some sort of barrier, something Genis found when he walked forwards and into an invisible wall.

Lloyd turned back at the sound of Genis' soft curse, finding a white, translucent wall having materialised around the group.

"Wh…what the?"

"It's a trap!" Raine answered.

"Lloyd, help us!" Genis cried only seconds before he faded out of sight, transported somewhere.

"Forget about us!" Raine countered, catching Kratos' eye briefly. He seemed to agree. "Find a way to evade this trap!"

Kratos watched as one by one the group disappeared, each calling out to Lloyd before they were whisked away. The seraph frowned, catching sight of Lloyd's worried face.

"Lloyd! Find the Derris Emblem! With it, you can disarm the trap!"

They were the only words he could utter before he too saw his vision blur, his son fading from his sight as he was plunged into darkness.

--

Darkness, all encompassing black was all that Kratos was aware of for sometime before eventually, light filtered into his view.

He was in…some room in Welgaia…and he wasn't alone. Zelos and Sheena stood nearby, each looking confused.

"Where the heck is this funky place?" Zelos asked aloud.

Kratos' eyes scanned the area.

"Is this…the location of the Derris Emblem Seal?"

Sheena put a hand up, silencing his musing and he arched an eyebrow in response.

"Do you hear a strange sound?"

"Strange sound?" Zelos repeated.

It was just as Zelos echoed those words that a black dot appeared in the centre of where the three were standing, swelling into a large, dark circle. Black tendrils slowly snaked their way out from the centre.

"We'll be sucked into the magic circle!"

"We must run!" Kratos ordered, turning on his tail in an attempt to flee, the other two following suit. Zelos glanced behind at the ever growing circle, its power already exerting itself on them, preventing them from escaping.

"Aww crap! Let's get the hell outta here!"

The attempt to flee, however, proved useless as the circle reached them, ensnaring them. They kept running, but the only effect it had was to keep them in once place, instead of being dragged in.

"No!" Kratos shouted as he realised the situation.

"What…is this thing?" Sheena gasped.

"Look below."

A large red spider stood below them, its jaws open as it looked up at them, its many eyes glinting in the dim light.

Zelos made a noise of disgust, looking up from the creature, away…and into the eyes of his little sister.

"Such a pathetic sight, Zelos."

Zelos stared up, wide-eyed, before glancing over to Kratos and Sheena. Lloyd and Kuchinawa stood before them, Lloyd's face contorted into a rare malicious smirk.

"What's the matter?" Kuchinawa was taunting Sheena "You'll be caught unless you hurry up and run."

"Wh…Why is Kuchinawa?…" Sheena sputtered.

"Calm down. It's just an illusion." Kratos informed her, apparently ignoring the figure of his son before him.

"Yeah..It's got to be an illusion," Zelos agreed, perhaps for the first time ever, with Kratos. "There's no way those three would be here."

"I'm not an illusion," Lloyd snarled, looking at his father "You've spent so long turning a blind eye to Mithos that you've lost all ability to see."

"You grew up in Mizuho, yet you still can't tell if I'm real or an illusion? You really are a failure."

"It's so sad," Seles cooed "How did someone so unworthy become the Chosen? It's no wonder he betrayed his friends."

"You couldn't stop Mithos, and you couldn't protect Mom. And then you sank to the level of a traitor. You're absolutely pathetic, you know that?" Lloyd spat. Kratos flinched noticeably.

"None of you should have been born," Kuchinawa stated "Everyone would have been so much happier had you not been born! You brought misfortune upon the people of Mizuho."

"I…I haven't brought misfortune to…"

"Can you really say you didn't? You, the coward who trembled before Volt and killed your comrades."

"The ones who betrayed their friends and then shamelessly came back, and the one who killed the people of her village. What a fitting end." Lloyd sniggered, the two red-heads eyes locked onto him now.

They may be illusions, but they knew exactly where to hit them hard.

"Now, if you think you can run, run!" Kuchinawa shouted "You'll be devoured by the darkness and die!"

The power of the magic circle was growing now and even Kratos, no matter how hard he pumped his muscles, could not escape its grasp. In fact, it seemed to be making it worse, his body being dragged back into the circle so that he was almost shoulder to shoulder with Zelos and Sheena.

"Dammit!" Zelos cursed, sweat running freely from his brow now. "We're gonna be eaten by that monster unless we do something!"

"You've gotta be kidding!" Sheena panted.

"Would you like me to save you, Zelos?" Seles' sickeningly sweet voice called.

"Want me to help you, Kratos?"

"Beg for our forgiveness." Kuchinawa ordered.

"And pledge loyalty to Cruxis." The smallest red-head added.

"Yes, Kratos. Pledge loyalty to Cruxis with me."

Kratos' head snapped up sharply at his son's alarming words.

Yggdrasill suddenly appeared behind Lloyd, in full view of the three struggling to escape.

"That monster below will bestow eternal suffering upon you. If it devours you, you will neither live nor die. You will be trapped in the true darkness tormented in isolation forever."

"Forever…" Sheena whimpered.

"I can save you. Join us and hand over Colette. Then it will all be over."

"Lord Mithos has agreed to let the people of Mizuho live."

"And he'll remove the title and duties of the Chosen from you and transfer everything to me." Seles knelt to look her brother in the eye.

"You turned a blind eye to what Mithos did once. All you have to do is turn away one more time. Then the world will be saved. Mithos will save it."

"Mithos will…save the world?" Kratos questioned, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Yeah! And he'll even forgive you for betraying him. You and me, Dad…let's build a peaceful world that Mithos envisions together."

He knew it was a lie, a trap, that the Lloyd in front of him was not truly his son…but the words were just what he wanted to hear after all this time. So tempting…allowing him to fulfil the dreams he always wanted to…and to lose all responsibility for saving the world…after four thousand years, it would no longer be his problem…

"Seles will gain the power of the Chosen?"

"All you have to do is pledge your allegiance to me. As soon as you do that, you will be saved from the shadow's grasp." Mithos tempted.

"The people of Mizuho…" Sheena murmured.

"Seles will become the Chosen…"

"This is absurd…" Kratos spat, shaking his head.

It was as he muttered those words that the illusionary Lloyd began to speak again. Except that, as Kratos looked at him, he realised it wasn't him speaking. It was the real Lloyd's voice coming from….below?

"Listen to me, guys! Don't be fooled. The real me is down below."

Kratos' eyes flicked down to the large red arachnid below.

"I've come for you guys."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Zelos shook his head "The only thing down there is that monster!"

"Lloyd, don't tell me you were eaten by that monster!" Sheena looked down, worried. Kratos rolled his eyes as Mithos began to speak again.

"That Lloyd is the real illusion. The monster is mimicking his voice to lure you."

"I'm not an illusion!" The voice countered angrily before switching its attention to the three in peril "Do you think it's better for the people of Mizuho to become part of the Age of Lifeless Beings? Do you think it's Ok for Seles to become the next Chosen who could be sacrificed at any time? Besides, there's no way I'd go along with Mithos' ideals!"

"Don't worry." Kratos soothed "That's just an illusion that lives in my heart. An illusion that tries to appease me for turning my back to reality and going along with Mithos."

"I…" Zelos gagged.

"Then, that Kuchinawa is…is an illusion inside me." Sheena murmured and Kratos nodded to her, even as they continued to run, breath coming in heavy pants now.

For a brief moment below, the vision of the red spider faded, the red clad figure of Lloyd becoming visible before being disguised again.

"Exactly! I believe in you! I know you can beat those illusions and come back to me! You're here because you're needed in this world. Your lives have value just by existing!"

"Just by being alive…my life has value?" Sheena questioned.

"A traitor like me has value?" Zelos asked quietly.

"I…have value? Me?" Kratos asked, his eyes fixed on the creature he knew was in fact his son.

"Of course not," Mithos countered "No life has any value just by being alive."

"Shut up!" Lloyd shouted angrily at Mithos and for a moment his form flashed through again. "There's significance in being born. But if that's not good enough for you, I'll give them another value. They're valuable because they're my friends!"

"Heh, that's a pretty pathetic value," Zelos mocked "but I suppose it'll do."

"So you accept me?" Kratos questioned his son quietly, hopefully.

"You'd betray me again?" Mithos challenged.

The illusionary figure of Lloyd glared at the seraph.

"Dad, are you choosing that fake over me?!"

The question snapped something in Kratos and he stopped running and stood straight. He wasn't sure whether it was the title 'dad' which he knew he would never bear again or not.

"Be gone, illusions of Mithos and Lloyd! My son needs me. I…cannot run from the sins of my past. Lloyd, allow me to atone for the foolishness of overlooking Mithos' brutality!"

With that Kratos turned to face the circle, letting himself be dragged into its black depths.

"You know what I wish for, yet you still interfere?!" Seles suddenly shrieked.

Zelos shrugged.

"Sorry, but I've got no choice. The guy who decided my value believes in me and tells me not to run away!" He quickly followed Kratos, disappearing into the circle's centre.

Sheena tutted. "Looks like he beat me to it."

"Are you running away again?!" Kuchinawa accused.

"I'll raze the entire village of Mizuho!" Mithos threatened.

"I'm not running," Sheena answered calmly. "The people of Mizuho are waiting for us to reunite the worlds. Betraying that trust would truly be running away!"

She turned to look at the circle, the pink tails of her obi being dragged forwards, past her body as she stared at the vortex.

"Damnation or salvation…guess there's only one way to find out."

She plunged into the darkness.

--

"Welcome back, you guys."

Kratos' ears rang slightly as he landed heavily in front of Lloyd, his son's words dull in his ears. Two soft thuds announced Sheena and Zelos' arrival.

The seraph climbed to his feet, finding his son and Colette standing before them, smiling. Regal and Presea stood just behind them, looking pleased that three more of their group had been rescued. But there were still two noticeably missing…and it was the absence of one of those two that alarmed Kratos. He masked it behind a nod to Lloyd.

Sheena shrugged in response to Lloyd's greeting.

"It's not like I can really run away from the fact that I was born."

"Exactly," Zelos agreed "Especially since we now have our new found pathetic value and all. I'm gonna try and face my challenges head on."

Kratos turned away slightly as Lloyd's inquisitive eyes fell on him, but after a moment, he turned and forced himself to meet his son's gaze. For once, he would be honest.

"I am ashamed for giving up and running away," he murmured, his voice lifting slightly as his son nodded in understanding. "I convinced myself that there was nothing I could do. I was able to reconfirm that thanks to that illusion."

"Yeah. Running won't solve anything." Lloyd agreed. He smiled widely. After a moment, however, his smile faded, giving way to curiosity as something landed with a soft tinkle behind the newly rescued trio. Kratos picked it up gingerly, letting the others crowd around to look at it.

"What is that?" Lloyd asked.

"A spider figurine?" Kratos guessed, looking over the small, shimmering golden object no bigger than his palm.

"But it's broken in half," Sheena pointed out a crack across the spider's abdomen. "It's kind of creepy."

"Maybe it's an admonition to not run away." Lloyd suggested.

"I guess that's one way to look at it." Zelos muttered.

"Maybe it is, I'm gonna hang on to it as a reminder." Sheena stated, reaching to take it from Kratos' hand. She hesitated for a moment before he nodded.

Presea smiled, walking over to the girl, pulling from her dress a similar styled token. A chipped dagger.

It was as Sheena nodded and hid the figurine inside her robe that an unfamiliar voice echoed behind them. It seemed more emotion than actual substance, a sense wrapping around the air around them, a heavy feeling of simmering guilt and resentment that had grown so strong it had gained form.

"I feed off the fear and selfishness that lives in the hearts of men. Will you offer your selfishness to me?"

Lloyd turned, eyes narrowed to face the thing, his group following suit.

"Yes."

--

_Light fled into darkness, and you are now the new light. The coward who fled into darkness has lost his power._

--

Raine squinted as light slowly filtered into her vision. Adjusting to the light slowly, she managed to focus her eyes, finding in front of her a large silvery glass panel. A mirror.

She looked about the cell she was trapped in, finding Genis at her side. He smiled at her reassuringly for a moment before turning back to look at the mirror, gasping as he did.

"Why is the Mayor?…" Genis questioned shakily.

"Be careful. It's an illusion."

"You think I'm an illusion?" The mayor of Iselia raged "This is exactly why everyone says half-elves are fools."

"Raine. My pitiful child…"

The voice jarred in her ears and Raine's eyes went wide as she recognised the voice, the image of the mayor no longer seeming important.

"A tainted child who received only half her elven blood."

Ice blue eyes turned slowly onto the image of the woman who, although she now understood, she could still not accept the reasoning of.

"M…mother?"

"Half-elves have no place in this world." She heard the mayor accuse, but the words seemed distant as she stared at the face so similar to her own.

"It is because you are despicable halflings that I was chased out of Heimdall."

"Then why did you give birth to us?!"

"There probably was no choice. That's why you were thrown away after you were born." The mayor answered.

"Disappear from this world…" Virginia hissed.

"Die. There is no meaning for you to live."

"Disappear…"

"Die. Now!"

"Humans and elves…" Genis sighed "neither side wants us!"

"That's right. No one wants you!"

"I didn't choose to be born like this…" Raine countered, but the words carried no meaning, even to her ears.

"It can't he helped," Virginia looked away from her son and daughter "It's your fault for not being a pureblood."

"No, you're wrong!" A voice suddenly shouted and Raine's eyes snapped to the source of the voice, Lloyd appearing in front of her, on the other side of the mirror.

"No, they are not wrong." The voice of Mithos suddenly joined in, countering Lloyd's attempts to save his friends. "Half-elves are despised and discriminated against for merely being alive. Our existence is a crime."

"No! It's not the half-elves' fault!"

"But…" Genis stuttered.

"We…" Raine murmured.

Lloyd's face hardened.

"People who can't accept those who are different are the ones to blame! It's because of their weak hearts!"

The young swordsman rushed forwards, glass shattering just before he reached it and he passed through the mirror, smiling at his friends, unscathed.

"Hey you two, I came to getcha."

"Lloyd…" Genis smiled.

"Now, let's go."

"It's hopeless, Raine," Virginia's voice warned as the half-elf made to leave with Lloyd. "You'll just be abandoned again. As long as you are a half-elf, the world will continue to hate you."

"Lloyd…came for us, even though he could have left us behind and face Mithos."

"You'll just be betrayed again. Because you're a half-elf.

"You may be right," Raine conceded but as she looked out through the hole that Lloyd had created, she caught a glimpse of a tall dark clad figure, his unruly auburn hair just visible. "But then again, you may be wrong."

She turned back to face the image of her mother fully, confronting her. Coolly and calmly, in true Raine Sage fashion.

"It wasn't because of my blood that you abandoned me. It was because of the world that hates my blood and a mother who was too weak to stand up against it. I'm going to stop hating that weakness. My hatred never changed anything. In order to change the world, I must first…change myself. I'm glad I was born a half-elf. It was because of it that I met Lloyd and my other dear friends."

"Genis, do you feel the same?" Mithos' asked quietly "Are you happy that you were born a half-elf?"

"That's ridiculous. There's no world for half-elves." The mayor snorted.

"Because humans hate us, I hate humans." Genis stated simply.

"Genis!"

There was surprise and hurt in Lloyd's voice as he looked at the boy who was supposed to be his best friend.

"But I like you, Lloyd," he soothed "And I like everyone we travelled with. Because…I think they all like me."

"You're an idiot. You're deluding yourself!" the mayor shouted.

"I'm the same. Just like those that hate half-elves, I get mad at humans and elves just for being who they are… That's just going to make them hate me more! My heart was weak, too."

"Is it a sin to be weak hearted?" Mithos asked, his voice hanging in the air "Not everyone's strong. Not everyone can stand being despised."

Raine shook her head as the images faded from the mirror, Mithos' presence disappearing too.

"I'm sorry. I promise to make up for all the trouble we've caused."

"Don't worry about it! We're friends, right?" he smiled softly and she returned the expression slowly. It was as she did that a piece of the mirror splintered and shattered, turning gold as it fell. It hit the floor with a soft chink.

"Hey what's this?" Lloyd asked, lifting it from the floor.

"They're fragments of the mirror."

"Maybe they're symbols of the weakness of our hearts." Genis suggested. The older boy nodded.

"You should hang on to it. It's proof that you guys beat that weird mirror." He held the golden object out to Genis and the pre-teen smiled and took it.

"Ok!"

"Yes. It's a good idea." Raine conceded.

They stepped away from the shattered remains of the mirror, finding the rest of the group outside, each of whom greeted them with a warm smile. Except Kratos. He nodded to Genis and then turned to look at Raine, laying a hand on her shoulder briefly in a gesture of comfort.

She smiled back before turning to Lloyd who had unsheathed his swords. A faint voice was echoing about the room.

"I reflect the bitterness that lies in the depths of your hearts. Will you face your darkness?"

"Yes."

"Then be devoured by darkness…"

--

_You have conquered your darkness. You have changed from shadow to light. That which was light will lose its power._

--

With the group reunited and all enemies defeated they stopped for a moment on the central platform of Welgaia, looking to the warp pad that would take them to Mithos' castle. Raine quickly healed the group, thrusting sandwiches (which hadn't been made by her, she reassured) into the hands of each group member, insisting that it would keep up their strength for the fight ahead.

Kratos lifted an arched eyebrow in response, his way of pointing out to Raine that eating didn't increase with strength. Raine in turn responded with a sharp slap to the side of the seraph's head, much to the amusement of the rest of the group. It was oddly satisfying to see that someone could make fun of Kratos with no repercussions whatsoever.

Lloyd looked at them as he munched on a beef and onion sandwich, thinking that perhaps he could accept them after all.

When they had eaten their fill, they moved off again, Kratos pointing the way.

Lloyd followed his father's finger, leading the group up to the warp area. It was as they did that Lloyd noticed a large elaborate carving set beneath his feet. It seemed to resonate some power and the material blades twitched in their scabbards. The boy looked down.

"Wh…what is this?"

"This is the Derris Emblem." Kratos answered.

"Derris Emblem?"

"It's a seal Mithos created to block the path to his castle. He created it by linking his soul with the fabric of space by the power of the Eternal Sword."

"The trap should be deactivated. Let's keep going." Raine urged, not wanting the men to sit and chat when there was so pressing a matter at hand, no matter how interesting the subject may be.

"So that's why the trap didn't affect me."

"With this, the path to Mithos' castle is now open."

"Ok, let's go!"

Raine rolled her eyes, wondering why that extra bit of conversation had been necessary, though she said nothing. Leave it down to the strangeness of the Aurion genes.

--

Mithos' castle was…an egotistical and perhaps slightly compensatory display, Raine thought as she looked around the entrance hall. The reception room was perhaps the size of Iselia village itself and its ceiling reached so high that she couldn't pinpoint where it ended.

Everything had a dull grey-purple tinge to it, the walls, the floors, the great fluted columns, the bridge that run across the room as the first floor, the wide staircase directly in front of them…

The only things that weren't those odd shades of purple were great black discs set into the floor, mana symbols carved into them. It was cold too and musty smelling and the only sounds Raine could hear were the echoing wingbeats of lifeless angels and the group member's breathing.

"Wow…this is…" Lloyd muttered.

"A meaningless and over-compensatory display of power." Kratos finished for his son.

"Not a fan of the giant castle, huh? Thought it'd be to your dark and dreary tastes, Kratos." Zelos mocked from the back of the group.

"It's purple."

"You wear purple."

"I wear black."

"Purple."

"Well, at the very least, it's not pink."

Genis snorted a laugh into his hand at Kratos' comeback, enjoying the indignant expression on Zelos' face.

"Anyway, it is of little issue whether I appreciate Mithos' architectural tastes or not."

"Didn't you live here though?" Zelos asked.

"Yes. My chambers are in a corridor in the far eastern wing, along with Yuan's. But that area of the castle was decorated to our own tastes."

"Is this really that important?" Lloyd asked, clearly anxious to get on with the task in hand.

"No, it's not."

"Nope, was just curious, bud."

"Then can we get on with this?"

Kratos lifted an eyebrow but nodded.

"Straight ahead to the throne room."

"Throne room?!"

The words were echoed by nearly every member of the group, save for Presea and Regal.

"Or hearing chamber, greeting chamber, audience chamber. Whichever term you prefer. But there is a rather throne like chair set upon a dais for Yggdrasill. I find the term throne room appropriate." Kratos explained before turning away, taking a few steps forwards before stopping, beckoning Lloyd to follow.

The boy snapped out of his stupor for a few seconds and dashed forwards to where his father stood, taking the lead as the rest of the team fell in behind, allowing the Aurions to lead them on.

They reeled in surprise as they mounted the staircase and reached the top, Colette shrieking at the roar that bellowed from the black dragon that stood before them.

"Dark dragon." Presea stated, Kratos nodding at her identification.

"I am the gatekeeper." it rumbled, crouching so that its head was level with Lloyd's, the muscles in its long neck rippling with the movement. Lloyd grimaced at the sight of the creature's scalped head, the exposed brain pulsing slightly beneath the red membrane that held it in place.

"You, who would open the gate, stand forth and destroy me!"

Lloyd pulled his swords free without a second thought.

"Let's go!"

Within seconds Raine, Regal and Presea were at his side, the other five hanging back to watch over the battle.

Large and deadly as the dragon was, it was slow and cumbersome; the surgeries that had allowed it to be controlled and trained so well damaging it so that it was near useless in battle. It was a creature placed merely for show, to intimidate people into turning back. Anyone with half a brain cell, however, would be able to see that the creature was hardly a worthwhile enemy. Not with its brain exposed and its reflexes destroyed. Lloyd could probably have taken it down on his own.

The creature's life came to a rather sudden end when Regal hurled Presea into the air above it, and she plummeted down again, her axe sliding easily into the beast's mind with a wet slap.

Two tonnes of black scaled body came crashing down a few seconds later.

Kratos stepped up to it without even checking it was dead, pulling a gold key from inside the creature's mouth. He wiped it on the fragile, sagging grey membranes of the reptile's wings before handing it to Lloyd.

"This is the Vinheim key. It opens the gates ahead of you."

Lloyd clutched it in his hand, nodding, before turning to the large wooden doors, slotting the key into the lock and twisting it, before giving them a gentle push open.

They stepped into the room beyond, finding it to be nothing more than a shattered balcony, the derris emblem etched into the floor again. And there in the distance a floating spit of land, a giant white seed floating above it.

"Mithos is just ahead…" Lloyd murmured as the group assembled behind him, all gazing out in the same direction.

"The Great Seed is there, too." Colette pointed to the glowing object.

The leader turned back to look at the rest of his group.

"This is it, everyone… are you ready?"

"I'm ready," Raine stated "I'm prepared to accept whatever happens in the coming battle…and we will win!"

"We're gonna win…" Sheena agreed "for Mizuho, Corrine…and for all of you who believed in a coward like me."

"And…for myself, too," Colette added "I don't want anyone else to make the same mistake I did. No one should have to think that he has to sacrifice his own life…"

"Everyone should be able to live freely, no matter who they are. Humans and elves and even us…" Genis nodded "It's ok for us to be here, in this world."

"Yes," Regal concurred "That's why we must recover the Great Seed from Mithos and revive the Giant Tree. Without it, not only will we be unable to restore peace between the different races…"

"The world itself will die," Presea finished "We can't let that happen. We must reunite the worlds. Afterwards we shall make a new promise to the new world."

"The people that I like and the people that I don't both have the right to live in the same world as I do. Because that's the way things should be. So count me in. I won't run from this one." Zelos promised, meeting Lloyd's eye evenly as he spoke and the boy smiled. Trusting. Believing.

Kratos shifted as all eyes turned on him but he locked his own gaze onto the island floating ahead of them.

"To atone for allowing this twisted world to exist, I will fight with everything I have…" he breathed. Garnet eyes flicked to Lloyd's, meeting Raine's briefly in the process. "And win."

Lloyd grinned widely. There was no hesitation, no doubt in his father's voice and eyes…and if Raine could trust him to do this, after everything, then so could he.

The grin dropped, fading into something more sombre at the thought of the task ahead.

"All right! Let's go! We're going to restore a world where everyone can live freely!"

Stepping onto the point of the emblem where it would transport him to where Mithos' awaited them, Lloyd closed his eyes, steadying himself for the final battle.

* * *

I love how cheesy the game gets towards the end ^^

Anyhoo, hope the whole Kratos, Zelos & Sheena scene flowed smoothly and wasn't too long. I had to work the two scripts together so, it might have seemed a bit disjointed, but I did try. I didn't include any battle scenes because...I personally found the fugitive etc. fights kinda boring, since they were all the same and...the Dark dragon was ridiculously easy even the first time I played the game through (that is it's brain on show, right? Looks like it to me...) and I'm saving my 'creative writing energies' for the final battle. I wanna make it dramatic and epic and all the rest.

Now, sorry about the delay, once again. Next chapter I will try really hard to get up within 2 weeks. I've started it already, since I'm just coming to the end of my holiday week and I'll try and work on this in the daytime before I go to work (nightshifts, yay! :S). Only thing to get in the way, other than work, is that I have my practical driving test coming up and I'm gonna be practising really hard for that, but, I should be able to work around everything.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and that my monologue hasn't bored you too much.

Thanks for reading. Reviews appreciated as always :)


	43. Final Destination?

A.N: Ladies and Gentlemen, this as they say, is it. This is the end. Thank you all for reviewing. I shall wait til the end to say what I want, so for now, for the last time, please:

Enjoy!!

* * *

Final Destination?

Roiling purple and red clouds billowed about the platform that held Mithos' throne as the group set down in front of him.

The audience room was bare, shattered stone walls and floors, a threadbare red carpet running up the centre of the room to the throne. The throne itself a huge block of stone, the back extending far up, two angels standing protectively on either side.

Yggdrasill himself was hovering in front of the throne, head bent down, eyes closed.

"Home," he murmured "I'm going home…"

Genis dashed forwards to plead with his former friend.

"Mithos…listen to me! We don't have to fight! Please return the Great Seed to us so that we can reunite the worlds."

"Home…I'm going home…"

"Something's wrong. He sounds like a puppet…" Lloyd stated.

"W…wha?…" Colette suddenly exclaimed, jerking as she did, a red light emerging from her, floating over to Yggdrasill and settling into him. A moment later, Yggdrasill's green eyes flickered open, a cruel smile curling his lips as he regained consciousness.

"I need to thank you for going through all the trouble to bring me back here. I'm finally myself again."

Lloyd dashed forwards.

"Damn! So that's what this was all about!"

"Mithos," Genis called "Martel is already dead…"

"That's not true!" Yggdrasill snapped "Martel is alive, just as I lived on in the Cruxis Crystal."

"That's not living," Lloyd countered "That's just existing as a lifeless being."

"What's wrong with that?"

"What?!"

"After all, in our bodies flow the blood of humans and elves—the bloods of those that despise us. We're better off casting aside much filth and become lifeless beings."

"That's what you really want?"

"Of course," Mithos answered, voice switching to its younger form "Watch! When you become a lifeless being, you can even control your appearance and growth."

A moment later, his entire body reverted back to its child-like appearance.

"Everyone should become lifeless beings. I told you before. The only way to eliminate discrimination is for everyone to become the same race."

"What you hope for is nothing but a dream, Mithos," Lloyd shook his head sadly "Discrimination comes from the heart."

"He's right, Mithos," Genis agreed, trying to persuade the other half-elf's mind. If they couldn't… "It's the weakness of people's hearts that causes discrimination. Looking down upon others while placing themselves too high…"

"You do the same thing!" Sheena accused "You look down on humans and elves, treating them like cattle. That's the weakness of your heart."

"Even if people become lifeless beings, nothing will change," Regal informed the half-elf "Discrimination will continue."

"Then where should the half-elves go?"

No one answered for a moment.

"We aren't accepted anywhere. We opened our hearts, but no one took us in. Where should we live?"

"You can live anywhere you like." Lloyd told him confidently.

"…Don't make me laugh."

"I'm serious. Anywhere is fine. If you aren't doing anything wrong, you should just live proudly in the open."

Mithos shook his head.

"It's because we couldn't do that…that I…that we wanted a place of our own!"

"Uh-uh," Zelos tutted "Sorry, but don't act like you're the only victim here. It doesn't even come close to justifying all the things that you've done."

Kratos stepped forwards to face his former friend, his voice soft though his words were harsh.

"That is not an excuse for the things we have done. It is merely a motive, not a justification."

"What you've done caused meaningless suffering and death to countless people. Can you feel their pain?" Presea asked.

"People can change," Raine assured, striding to stand beside Kratos, looking at him briefly as if he were proof of her words "Even if they don't change right away. Months, years—as time passes, change is inevitable."

"Maybe not everything can be forgiven," Colette acquiesced "But one can try to atone for one's sins. Can't you feel it in your heart? The Goddess known as conscience…"

"Do you think I'm going to beg for forgiveness?" Mithos scoffed "Ridiculous. There is no Goddess. So I will continue to pursue my ideals. If there is no place where I can live, and if I've been denied my Age of Lifeless Beings, then the only thing left for me is to build a new world on Derris-Kharlan. A world just for my sister and me!"

Mithos wings burst from his back in a shower of multicoloured feathers, his wings every shade of the rainbow, shimmering as they fluttered.

"There's nothing anyone can do!"

A second later, Mithos was hurling himself at Lloyd, Zelos tackling him as he did so, sending the blonde careening off to the side.

Mithos snarled, pulling himself upright in the air, turning to face the group. Each one of them stood ready for battle, weapons in or at hand, faces set with determination. The angel scanned each face one by one before coming to rest on Kratos. If there was one weak link in this group…

He charged forwards, fists clenched and glowing with charging mana.

Raine shot to the back of the field, Genis and Colette following, each beginning to charge their own spells. The rest of the group scattered, Regal, Lloyd, Presea and Sheena spreading themselves out, forming a circle around Mithos as he charged at Kratos'.

The seraph tightened his fist on the handle of his silver long sword, glowering at his enemy. If he thought he was going to back down and have a change of heart, he had another thing coming. He drew himself back, tensing as Mithos' drew closer.

"Rejection!"

He leapt back just as Mithos called the spell, propelling himself out of reach of the attack. The moment his feet glanced against the floor, he pushed himself forwards again, sword clasped in both hands. He swung the blade at his student, the other suddenly batting the blade aside with his palm, sneering as Kratos swung, having to follow the direction of his blade.

His triumph was short lived however as he suddenly became aware of the others surrounding him. Regal and Presea charged together, the girl's axe slashing the air just centimetres in front of the angel, Regal plunging down with a cry of:

"Eagle dive!"

The CEO's boot clipped Mithos' as he descended but the angel gave no sign of the attack, gathering power in his hand once more and smashing his hand into the larger man's stomach.

Regal tumbled back, winded by the sheer force of the blow and he gasped for breath as he struck the floor, trying to push himself up the second he had stopped moving. Presea leapt back from Mithos, gaining time for herself as Zelos, Sheena and Lloyd followed up Regal and Presea's attempts with the next volley of attacks.

Lloyd charged with Rising falcon, Sheena slapping a card against the blonde as he turned, stunned when the small explosion seemed to have no effect on him and then easily dodged Lloyd's attack. Zelos threw himself forwards, striking out at the angel only to meet a brief flash of a glowing green barrier.

And it suddenly seemed to be Mithos' turn to attack, his behaviour suddenly turning from offensive to defensive.

If there was one element of Mithos' the group couldn't understand it was how he could cast spells…without even a second of concentration and it was that fact that sent Regal, Zelos, Presea, Sheena and Lloyd skywards as Mithos screamed:

"Gravity well!"

Kratos missed being caught by the attack by scant inches, his wings appearing briefly as he jumped into the air again and landed heavily just in front of Raine. She blinked, keeping her concentration, holding the spell until Mithos' attack finished wreaking havoc upon the warriors.

When the black dome had faded she released the spell, watching the floor transform into a mosaic of patterns and colours, magic circles streaking their way across the ground. At the same time, Colette and Genis released their own attacks, Colette's para-ball combining with Genis' Tidal wave, carrying sparking water up over Mithos' head before crashing down in a flood, the water swirling harmlessly about the groups feet.

Mithos fell, crushed temporarily under the weight of the water, electricity sparking along his small form. He clambered to his feet as soon as the water had drained away and the electricity had passed, his wings sodden and weighed down. He snarled again, focusing his eyes on Colette as he staggered to his feet and he cast another spell immediately, fire and stone erupted beneath her feet. She was hurled into the air, her body battered from all angles.

Lloyd charged forwards, catching her as she fell Raine was casting before he even turned to her but the woman was suddenly fired back by a bolt of electricity. Kratos' head whipped, following her travel, wincing as she scraped along the floor.

"Lloyd! Zelos!"

He pointed to Mithos, instructing them to attack. Regal and Presea followed suit, Sheena charging forwards with them.

"Genis! Don't concern yourself with them, I'll deal with it."

The half-elf bit his lip for a second before nodding resolutely and spinning to face Mithos, his kendama twirling. Kratos settled himself at the back, casting healing stream over Colette and Raine, watching as the two women slowly recovered and staggered to their feet.

Colette hurled herself back into the fray within seconds of regaining consciousness and Raine smiled as she watched the girl. Kratos met her eyes for a second, ensuring Raine was ok before turning and immersing himself in the battle.

Mithos' was steadily batting away each volley of attacks, throwing his own in between but the sheer mass of people clustered about him was proving to be difficult to fend off against.

And then an attack slipped through, the tip of Lloyd's Flamberge tearing through white fabric and slicing horizontally across his thin bicep.

Mithos turned, thrusting his hand out and catching Lloyd in the chest, pushing him back before he spun again, grabbing the first person who came to hand. Sheena.

His small hand somehow made it around her throat and his wings hefted them up into the air. She screamed and kicked as she was carried higher. Kratos' crouched, releasing his wings preparing to launch himself upwards when a sharp bolt of lightning shot through his body, forcing him to the ground, writhing. Lloyd cried out up at the girl, Genis and Zelos desperately casting spells to strike Mithos down.

The angel carried her higher, the ninja shrieking now at the great height, suddenly crying out in pain as Mithos' hand, charged with mana, struck her bare skin, singeing the skin. A hand struck her again a moment later, and again and again.

She kicked out again, getting some power behind the kick, her knee connecting with some sensitive part of his anatomy. His hand released instantly, and Zelos suddenly changed his spell, conjuring wind instead. The strength behind it was just enough to stop every bone in her body breaking as she hit the floor.

"Sheena!"

Lloyd glared up at Mithos, watching as he began to dive down towards her, intending to finish the battered girl off. She was already on her feet though, black surrounding the magic circle about her feet. Lloyd took a step back. He knew exactly what was coming. It was strange, in retrospect, that Mithos didn't.

"Source of Heaven, Earth, and everything in between, Ruler of all, I summon thee, Origin!"

The magic circle span out from beneath her and a moment later, in a flash of white light, Origin appeared. He stared down at Mithos for a split second, his former summoner, the boy who had betrayed his trust, his hopes… and launched his attack.

The white sparking circle appeared around Mithos, bolts of lightning firing down, trapped within the boundaries of the circle, the bolts ricocheting off the sides, striking the figure trapped inside for a second time before the attack faded. Origin disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Sheena slumped to her knees, breathing heavily, grateful when a wave of healing magic from Raine washed over her. She stood after a moment staring wide eyed at Mithos as he too staggered upright. One of his arms was charred and black, wounds zigzagging across his body, his blonde hair singed.

He seemed suddenly unarmed, harmless and small…

Kratos cast guardian, calling out a warning to the rest of the team as shafts of white light blasted through the veil of stormy clouds above.

Screams echoed around him, male and female and through the shimmering green barrier Kratos watched them fall. Colette, Presea, Regal, Genis, Raine, Sheena…even Lloyd.

The green barrier faded and Kratos looked down at his comrades. They were alive, all of them, in various states of consciousness, some trying to lift themselves, others still too dazed from the attack. The only ally Kratos had left standing was Zelos, the red head tottering about.

"Zelos!"

His head snapped over to Kratos as the larger red moved away, his eyes focused on Mithos.

"Heal them. I'll buy you some time."

He launched himself at Mithos, sword shimmering in light from the great seed above. There was suddenly a sword in Mithos' hand too, the weapon called from one of the angelic statues watching over the two seraphim as they clashed.

Metal scraped along metal, the sound screeching through the air. Kratos brought his free hand to the blade, pushing against his student. Mithos suddenly shunted backwards, throwing Kratos off balance. The larger angel staggered forwards, leaving him vulnerable for a moment and Mithos took the opportunity to leave a gash in his shoulder.

Kratos wrenched away, grunting, narrowly avoiding the blade from shearing into his neck, swinging his arm in a backhand swing to force the other away. His leg followed, managing to catch the other off-guard. The boot of his heel collided with Mithos' side, sending him reeling backwards.

Taking advantage of Mithos' mistake he dashed forwards, his sword driving in front of him as he charged for the boy.

Raine blinked sluggishly, waking slowly and through hazed eyes she saw a black and white clad figures fighting, swords flashing, expertly wielded.

"Raine!"

Zelos' hand was on her bicep, pulling her to her feet.

"You have to help me get the others to fight! Kratos can only last so long against him on his own."

She nodded, watching through the corner of her eyes as she began to cast. Kratos was fast, but Mithos was faster. His smaller frame made him more agile, more able to dive in, strike and dash away again, only receiving minimal damage as Kratos tried to keep up with him.

When swords were knocked from hands the two briefly took to the air, fighting hand-to-hand, until a thick spray of blood splattered across the floor. Kratos slammed hard into the ground, dust and debris rising up around him.

A gossamer, electric blue wing landed on his back a moment later, slender silver tendrils trailing from its severed end.

The sound Kratos made as Mithos landed atop him was nothing short of horrifying to her ears, but all the time his pale, now trembling fingers twitched and stretched, teasing the end of his sword as it lay feet away from him.

Mithos noticed the movement, moving to kick the weapon from Kratos' grasp when, the older seraph reached out, snatching at Mithos' ankle, bringing him down to the ground. Lurching forwards on his stomach, Kratos managed to grab his blade, bringing it round in a clean, sweeping arc. Rainbow wings fell from his back, shattering as they dropped to the floor.

Kratos leapt backwards, his back soaked in blood, a small point on his back where his wing had been pulsing with mana's light, his sword clenched in his hand as he watched Mithos stagger to his feet. No matter the atrocities Mithos may have committed, Kratos couldn't bring the boy down as he lay defenceless on the floor.

Behind him, the rest of his team staggered to their feet, all pacing forwards, weapon's gripped in hands as they formed a semi circle about the boy.

Lloyd looked to his father and Kratos nodded. Turning slowly they faced Mithos as he stared them down. Lloyd stepped forwards a pace, slowly, surely. Kratos followed suit. Then Zelos and Sheena until all the group were moving forwards, gaining speed as they went.

Metal pierced and beat Mithos' body from every angle. A scream ripped from his throat as weapons were retracted.

The body thumped to the floor.

"It's over." Lloyd sighed, stepping back, wiping his sword on his pant leg, letting his eyes drift shut.

"Don't be so keen to let your guard down." Kratos warned, staring at Mithos' body. He was rewarded when, a second later, a contraption started unfolding itself around Mithos, encompassing his form, enveloping it in the body of a machine. It was not dissimilar to those of the fugitives and the damned that they had fought earlier.

"Oh, screw this!" Zelos shouted from the middle of the group. "Everybody take a leg each, or distract it."

For once, Zelos had made a suggestion that Kratos agreed with and they surged forwards, hacking at legs, Genis casting spells in an attempt to shatter the glass that protected Mithos' face.

The machine that now encased Mithos, though large and powerful was spindly legged, its shell brittle and it didn't take long for Presea to shatter one of the legs with a devastating axe blow.

It fell on one side, and once it was down it took only a second for Regal to dash forward and shatter the glass protecting Mithos, just as every member attacked as one.

Beams of white light shot down from a single sphere as Raine threw her staff into the air.

Lightning shot down in staggering volumes from the sky as Genis' kendama spun dizzyingly in his hand.

Metal pierced metal with lightning ad wind as Zelos thrust his sword forward into the belly of the machine.

Fire and stone ruptured from the ground beneath as Kratos plunged his sword into the air above his head.

Black clouds enveloped the machine as Sheena snapped a card into her hand.

Pink feathers, razor sharp sheared along the machine shattering brittle joints as Colette clasped her hands before her and prayed.

Sharpened blade of an axe passed cleanly through the centre of the machine, splitting it as Presea swung her weapon in small, skilled hands.

Leather and steel shattered through glass as Regal leapt into the air and through Mithos' screen.

Fire and ice combined embedded themselves in a fragile beaten body as Lloyd jumped and dived like a raptor, capturing its prey.

--

The metal casing shattered, turning to dust before them, no organic matter to be seen as the weapon faded. Mithos Yggdrasill, hero of the Kharlan war, half-elf, brother, student, seraph and fallen hero, was dead.

"Goodbye….Mithos."

--

The dust had long since blown away when the group came to terms with that they had done and what faced them now.

The Cruxis Crystal that had empowered Mithos so long, enabled him to strive to meet his goals, now held him from the afterlife, a pale, wavering ghostly form in its wake.

"Mithos is…" Colette gasped, staring, horrified at his form.

"It's just like Alicia! Mithos will continue to live as long as the Cruxis Crystal exists!" Presea exclaimed.

"And eventually…I will be taken over by the crystal." Mithos replied.

"Mithos…" Lloyd breathed.

"I'm tired of playing your game of good-and-evil," Mithos cut in, his voice heavy and weary "Hurry up and destroy the crystal. If you don't, Derris-Kharlan will continue to drift away."

"Mithos…"

"Do it now! Before I, too, am no longer myself…"

"Lloyd! Please…help him!" Genis begged "Let him die while he's still himself!"

The older boy nodded.

"Alright."

"Farewell, my shadow," Mithos murmured as Lloyd slowly approached "You, who stand at the end of the path I chose not to follow. I wanted my own world, so I don't regret my choice. I would make the same choice all over again. I will continue to choose this path!"

Lloyd's face remained impressively neutral at Mithos words and he took breath, steadying himself before he brought one of his blades cleanly through the Cruxis Crystal. It shattered, fragments falling to the floor in a shower of dust, Mithos' wavering figure disappearing from the air before them.

The new wielder of the eternal sword stared at the shimmering dust on the floor.

"You could have…you could have lived with us in our world! Damn it…"

Silence reigned for a moment, contemplation and grief in the air before events forced thoughts back to the present. Lloyd's swords were glowing and he held them up, watching in fascination as they rose from his hands, forming into a single blade. The Eternal Sword.

Lloyd reached up, taking hold of the hilt in both hands. It was then that Origin spoke to him again.

"The old master of the pact is no more. What does the new master of the pact ask of his sword?"

Lloyd's expression hardened.

"Restore the true form of our two worlds!"

He thrust the sword into the air, holding it high above his head.

Kratos watched as his son held the blade that Mithos had relied on so long aloft. The power could be felt resonating from it and a white beam shot from the blade and then….silence.

--

_White light rose from the centre of the earth, pure and healing. It wound its way along the worlds equators, tethering the two orbs together, bringing planets back in phase. Mountains crumbled, seas changed shape and rivers changed course. Caves and valleys filled with earth and deserts turned to water as seas turned to sand. Forests turned to plains and plains into marshes and all the time the great white light encompassed the earths, churning, returning two to one._

_--_

The group were set down outside the remains of the tower of Salvation, the walls on either side of the entrance still present.

"Are we back?" Lloyd asked before staggering when the earth began to tremble violently beneath their feet. Raine grasped at Kratos' arm for supporting, receiving a steadying hand to the small of her back in response.

"What's going on?!"

It was then that the summon spirits materialised around them after a separation of four millennia. They gathered around the group.

"What are you all doing?" Sheena asked, noting that Origin was not present.

"Your wish is granted." Origin answered and heads rose as if they expected to see Origin above them. "But there is no link. Without link, the land will die."

"Just as I thought…" Kratos muttered. The group looked to him but he ignored their stares, knowing Origin would explain in time.

"The world was originally separated into two in order to prevent its destruction. If it returns to its true form, the world lacks the mana to support itself. The land…is dying."

"I don't need to know why it's dying!" Lloyd snapped "What do we need to do to stop it?"

"Support the two worlds by linking them with the Giant Tree. That is the only way to stop the destruction of the land."

"We need to restore the Giant Kharlan Tree." Raine clarified.

"I get it!"

"Lloyd, quickly!" Kratos urged "Before Derris-Kharlan flies off into the distant reaches of space, use its mana to awaken the Great Seed! That's the only way to revive it."

The swordsman nodded, turning away from the group to look up into the sky, raising the sword above his head again.

"All right, then! I'm counting on you, Eternal Sword!"

"Derris-Kharlan is already at the edge of the gravitational field," Origin informed him "Not even Yggdrasill…Mithos could stop this from happening. Do you still intend to try?"

"Yeah."

"Even strengthened by your Exsphere, it is likely that your body will not withstand the forces. Are you certain of your decision?"

"I said I'm doing it, so I'm doing it! It's not like we have a choice!"

Origin paused.

"Very well."

Streams of mana suddenly travelled to the great seed and for a moment it looked like all was saved, that the great seed would be able to germinate. But then Lloyd noticed. The mana was not being absorbed by the seed; it was wrapping around it but not entering…being deflected. The sword faded from his hands and he clenched them into fists.

"It's not working! The mana's being deflected!"

"The Great Seed is…already dead." Colette wailed.

They stared up, eyes focused on the floating husk, hope dying in hearts as the news was brought to them. But Lloyd wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.

"Wait! Don't go! Please, wake up!"

Light suddenly shone from his exsphere and without warning, a great pair of wings suddenly burst from his back. Kratos jerked, shocked as the glowing appendages stretched around Lloyd's body, many times longer than the boy's height.

Lloyd barely seemed to register that he had wings, save for the fact that he suddenly took to flight, soaring towards the seed, Colette's smaller wings carrying her in close pursuit.

"He….has…..wings…" Genis gasped.

"How?" Sheena questioned, her expression of shock mirroring that on everyone's face.

"He's the son of an angel," Raine answered "The Angelus Project must have been a project to create a crystal that could give anyone the ability to fly."

"But Lloyd is a true angel. He was born not made…the wings are created by the crystal, but the ability to have them was there all along." Kratos murmured, sharp eyes focused on his son.

The Eternal Sword had returned to him and Derris-Kharlan had ceased drifting. For the moment. Squinting, he could just make out Colette placing her hands atop Lloyd's as he swung the sword.

"Rise Giant Kharlan Tree!!"

--

The remainder of the group watched as Lloyd and Colette sank back to earth, landing where the great seed had sprouted and they quickly followed, watching as a slender woman stepped forward, her long pale green hair reaching down past her waist.

"I am Martel," she informed them as they approached, Lloyd and Colette already standing before them "and also the incarnation of the Great Seed itself. Lloyd, our hope as well as those of many others, resurrected me."

"So you're Mithos' sister?!"

Kratos smiled softly, shaking his head. She looked like her, but Lloyd clearly didn't understand what was happening.

"No. Mithos' sister Martel, is one of the many souls within me," she corrected "I am Mana, and I am the Giant Tree. I am a symbol of the many lives sacrificed to the Great Seed. I am the new spirit born to accompany the Giant Tree. And now the Seed has awakened anew along with me."

She looked back to the tree and it suddenly sprang into growth, towering hundreds of feet above them in seconds, dappled sunlight playing through deep green leaves.

Gasps of admiration erupted from the group.

"This is the Giant Kharlan Tree?!" Lloyd gaped.

"It's so beautiful and so grand!" Colette whispered in awe.

"This is the future form of the Giant Tree. Right now, it is only a small sapling. In its current rate, the tree will wither and die."

"Well then, how do we protect it?!"

"You must provide the tree with love and adoration. As long as those conditions are met, I shall always protect the sapling."

"I promise! If the tree starts to wither, I'll make sure, we won't let it die!"

"Then Lloyd, on behalf of all living things, I want you to give this tree a new name, as a proof of the pact."

"What?"

"The Giant Kharlan Tree was planted here by the elves when they first came is a guardian to watch over and protect them. This newly reborn tree protects elves, humans and the lives of all who have caught in between. Therefore, this tree requires a new name."

Colette grinned, turning to Lloyd excitedly.

"Lloyd, pick a name for us. A name for everyone's tree."

"Lloyd: So this tree is the link that connects the world. Ok, I got it! This tree's name is…"

--

They sat atop one of the new mountain regions of the world that had newly formed thanks to their efforts, looking over the new lay of the landscape. Kratos blinked, looking over the world he hadn't seen in four thousand years. He recognised, from the recesses of his childhood memories, faint though they were now, the valley where he had met Yuan…charging at him on horseback as he lead the Tethe'allan army against Sylvarant's…led by Yuan on foot.

Everybody else was gathered about the area, gazing out over the landscape. Raine rested her hand lightly on Kratos' shoulder.

"I can't believe we've done it…" Lloyd breathed.

"It's not over yet, Lloyd," Regal reminded "This will cause massive upheaval of the governmental systems of both worlds. They must come to terms with each other."

"Regal, give it a rest," Zelos answered from the back of the group where he stood alone "Can we not celebrate that we've done something great, for just an evening?"

"Wow, I agree with you for a second time in a week, Zelos. Something's wrong here." Sheena grinned.

"Can we enjoy the peace of the evening and the look of the new world?" Raine sighed. She took in a deep breath. "And each other's company."

"Tomorrow, we shall have to choose new paths." Kratos murmured as his eyes traced over the distant horizon.

Raine sighed and shifted, slowly allowing herself to rest against Kratos' shoulder. He looked at her questioningly before understanding her. She was choosing her new path. He put his arm around her slowly, swallowing thickly.

He wasn't quite sure if he had chosen his own path yet.

--

The sun rose over a new world, a brighter world with a new path in front of him. And with a new path before the world, new paths before stood before those who had made it.

In the early hours of the morning, the group finally parted ways after months of travelling together. Taking to the skies in their Rheairds, each of the Tethe'allans headed in a different direction to begin restoring order to the new world.

Colette soon headed home too until only those who were related remained.

"So…what now?" Lloyd asked.

"Well that's the question, isn't it?" Genis responded.

"There is no shortage of jobs to be done. Reuniting the worlds was only the tip of the iceberg. Now the real work begins." Kratos answered.

"So what are you going to do? Do you know?" Lloyd asked.

Kratos remained silent.

Lloyd looked somewhat taken aback by his father's lack of response and so turned to Genis and Raine.

"Um, Professor? Genis? What are you going to do?"

"We're going on another journey," Raine answered, surreptitiously throwing glances at the silent figure of Kratos "to promote equality between humans and half-elves. Those from Sylvarant shall no longer fear us and those in Tethe'alla will not look down upon us. It may take some time but…"

"But we're half-elves we have a millennia," Genis answered "So that's what we're doing."

Lloyd nodded.

"That's great…are…are you leaving right away?"

"No. I think we have a few details to work out first and we need to make plans and preparations."

"And sleep in a decent bed." Genis quipped.

Raine smiled, though distantly, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

"So, does it give you any thoughts and what you're gonna do now?" Genis asked.

"I…have an idea. But I wanna talk it through with someone who knows more about it first." Lloyd answered, looking at Kratos. The man got the hint and began walking away, leading Lloyd to a more secluded area where the wind wouldn't carry their voices.

"What is this idea of yours, then?"

"I already know what I'm doing," Lloyd answered bluntly. "I'm going to destroy all the exspheres in existence. That's not what I want to talk about."

Kratos cleared his throat, showing his discomfort.

"What are _you _going to do now?"

"I…"

"Are you going to work with Yuan?"

"No. He and I are past the point at which we can work amicably."

"Then…are you going to come with me?"

"Do you wish for me to?"

Lloyd shrugged.

"It doesn't matter, I just want to know what you're doing now. I thought you already had plans, I don't expect you to come with me."

"I see."

"Are you going to go with Professor Raine and Genis then?"

Kratos looked over his shoulder to where the siblings were standing, a soft smile curving at his lips as he watched her speak to her brother before he turned back to face Lloyd.

"I don't think so."

Lloyd jerked.

"What?! Why not?!"

Clearly, it was not the answer he had been expecting.

"I have my reasons."

"Why aren't you?!"

"Lloyd…"

"Aren't you in love with the Professor?"

Kratos paused, staring at the son who looked so much like his lost lover. The woman he had loved for so short a time, but with such fervour and such passion…and whom he mourned for even now, deep in the untouchable depths of his heart. Just as he did for Soleille, the woman he had loved since he was but a child.

"…Yes, Lloyd. I believe I am."

"That…does that mean you don't love mom anymore?"

"By no means. I still hold a great affection for Anna, and I shall do for the remainder of my life."

"So…how can you love Professor Sage too?"

"Love is a complicated emotion, Lloyd. You can love more than one person in the same way. When you have lived as long as I you realise that there is no 'one true love'. There are many loves and all of them true, even if to differing degrees."

"Well then if you love her, why don't you go with her?"

"Love is not the answer to everything Lloyd. I have my reasons."

He turned to walk away. Lloyd's eyes suddenly alighted on the exsphere on his own hand, and understanding flashed through his mind.

"You're worried you'll lose her, like you did mom?"

Kratos stopped, shoulders stiffening and he turned to look over his shoulder.

"I will fail her. Like I did your mother. Like I did _you_. Like I did Soleille, Martel, Mithos, Yuan…"

Lloyd closed his mouth, shutting off whatever response he was previously going to utter.

"I'm leaving. Tomorrow. I will travel with Derris-Kharlan as it drifts through space. That is my path. And there will be no return from that."

--

"Leaving?! When?!"

"Tomorrow, professor."

"What time?"

"Morning, I think. He needs me so he can travel up to Derris-Kharlan."

"I'm going with you."

"Alright."

--

Morning broke over the new world in almost dull shades, grey clouds blotting out the colours that streaked across the skies.

Raine sat nervously in the burnt shell of her home, watching rain slowly drizzle through holes in the burnt boards overhead. Genis was staying at Colette's until they got things straightened out. Raine was supposed to be there too but she had left the house earlier that morning.

Why was he leaving?

Was she not good enough, or was it his own insecurity that was causing this? After everything they had been through?

Or was there simply no place for him in this new world, a creature of such longevity, an ancient man…could he not survive here?

--

The Aurions stood at the base of the tower, ignoring the faint mist of rain settling on dark hair and dark clothed shoulders. Kratos' face was solemn as he regarded his son.

He had not told Raine of his leaving, nor did he intend to. She was far better off not knowing.

"Are you really going to Derris-Kharlan?" Lloyd asked quietly.

"If a half-elf of Cruxis remains here, the other half-elves will have no place to live. As a surviving member of Cruxis, I must bear the responsibility for what has happened."

"You know," Raine started conversationally, rising from the pile of rocks behind which she had concealed herself "It's technically the elves responsibility. They are the ones who originally came here on Derris-Kharlan."

Kratos' eyes narrowed, none of the warmth or affection Raine was used to seeing in those red brown eyes present.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. I hear you're planning on leaving."

"I am."

"Why?"

"Did I not just explain?"

"You gave an excuse to run away, not a reason."

Kratos snorted.

"Besides, Yuan is staying. He's a half-elf of Cruxis."

"Yuan is a Renegade. He has not been a true Cruxis member for several centuries."

"Don't be pedantic."

"I believe you were the one being pedantic."

Raine tutted.

"Do you honestly think that you need to go up there, to leave us?"

"It is my responsibility."

"You know how you would better carry out serving that responsibility? Stay here. Help us restore order to the world to clean up the mess that Cruxis has made."

"Cruxis remaining here will not help that."

"You are not Cruxis, Kratos! Discarding exspheres into out space is a cheap excuse to run away. Why do you need to discard them? How is anyone going to get onto Derris-Kharlan as it floats in outer space? And once you're done with that, what do you do for the rest of eternity? Sit and brood? How does that help redeem yourself? How does that help _anyone_?!"

"Raine…"

"You're doing exactly the same as Regal. You're going to make yourself miserable, thinking that that will make up for your sins, that that is atonement. You'll take comfort in the fact that you are suffering. Now let me tell you, Kratos Aurion, that being miserable doesn't make you special or a better person. It just makes you miserable.

If you want to atone, you have to stay here and help us. Help us turn the world into a world that we can be proud of. That we can all be pleased to be a part of."

"You've been taking lessons from Lloyd."

"So have you. But you've been ignoring them. Like father like son."

"What do you mean?"

"Lloyd told you just two days ago, that your life has meaning simply because of its existence. Are you ignoring that because you think he's naïve or do you just want to believe that your life doesn't have any meaning?"

"I want to know that I am doing something right, just once."

"Then stay. How do you know if you're achieving anything by running away from it? You're not always right Kratos, your first decision has not always been your best."

"The world will not improve because of my presence."

"But neither will it deteriorate."

Red eyes shifted.

"But I can tell you one thing for sure."

She stepped forwards, not caring about Lloyd's presence as she laid a hand on Kratos' arm, standing inches from him.

"You can help improve my life by staying. Come with me and Genis on our journey. We need a swordsman and someone who has a knowledge of the ancient world…and a human that accepts half elves. Lloyd will not always be travelling alongside us to do that."

"This is not my world…"

"Was it ever your world?" She asked. "This one that has existed for the last four thousand years. You are now in your world Kratos, you just haven't had time to get used to the idea yet."

"Are you so bent on dissuading me for leaving?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I want you with me. Because my life will never be normal, not after this and so I need someone extraordinary by my side…in an ordinary way."

"Raine…"

"I'm not saying that I want you to get down on your knees here and now and propose to me, I'm not suggesting we find a home and settle down together. I just… I want to have the chance to have that. I want to try for this instead of letting you just slip through my fingers like I did before."

Kratos closed his open mouth, letting a gentle smile curl his lips instead.

"You are aware of what you're getting yourself in for?"

"A hell of a big responsibility in taking care of you?"

"Something like that."

He met her eyes evenly.

"You are right…as always, you realise?"

"I'm glad that you still have your senses and can understand that."

"This…is not a light decision you're making…"

"Kratos. I understand what I'm doing…what I'm asking of you. I'm asking you to take a risk and turn from the safe path…but you've done that already."

She stepped back, lifting her hand from his arm.

"It's your decision. I won't beg for you to stay with me…but I want you to consider what I've said, instead of clinging stubbornly to old ideals. It's a new world and a new chance for you as one of its citizens."

She turned, walking away from him.

"Genis and I will be staying at Altessa's for a few days, should you decide to join us."

--

Kratos stood at the base of the tower of salvation, arms crossed over his chest as he looked at the shattered remains, tapping his lip in contemplation. Raine's speech had sent his mind reeling, the question playing through his mind over and over again:

Should he stay or should he go?

His guilt told him he should go. His heart told him he should stay. His head told him both, and that Raine was right in what she had said.

Still, knowing that she was right didn't change how his heart felt when he made a move to make his decision.

A step towards the Tower, as if to leave for Derris-Kharlan, and his heart wrenched in his chest. A step away, towards Raine and his guilt screamed at him, the countless lives lost because of his inability to say no to Mithos.

Could he say no to Raine?

He couldn't say no to Anna, when she had begged him not to leave her and Lloyd in hiding, and divert the Desians attentions from her. It had cost her life.

But there was no question of life and death here, just a choice about whether he deserved to be happy or not. He didn't dare assume that he would stay purely for Raine. If he left…then she would hurt but eventually heal. She had millennia of life before her in which to find someone she loved, to settle down with and marry, to have children with.

He didn't want another child…not now… But…she had specified that she wasn't asking that of him. Maybe it was worth going for.

"Kratos, do you really not know what to do? You've been standing there for hours." Lloyd stated, playing idly with his swords.

"No Lloyd, I don't. That is precisely why I have been standing here for hours."

"But…you said you loved her."

"I do."

"Then isn't it obvious?"

"As I have said, love doesn't conquer all, no matter what Colette believes."

"But if she makes you happy, and you make her happy then….shouldn't you at least try, or something? How do you know if it'll work out or not if you don't try?"

"It's not a case of that Lloyd. This is about what responsibilities I have and…if I deserve to try for something with her."

"Well…you did the right thing in the end by joining us. Doesn't that count for something? And I think the Professor was right…you won't achieve anything by going up there. Only to piss me off and make Professor Sage upset."

"Are you saying that you also want me to stay?"

"Of course I want you to! I want to know my…. I wanna see the professor happy and I wanna see you happy. You're my friend, not just my father….and I think mom would want you to stay and be happy. I think we all think you deserve that."

"Thank you, Lloyd."

"Can't you just follow your heart for once, dad?"

Kratos blinked, looking at his son. He had never considered it so simply, and in a brief second, he knew instantly what he wanted to do and that was all it took to make his decision.

Releasing crystalline sapphire wings he leapt into the air, banking south as he soared over the new world, his heart thudding in his chest…

--

"Do you think he'll come?"

"I don't know Genis." Raine murmured idly tapping her staff against her leg as she sat in Altessa's home with her brother. "I don't know…but I have a feeling he won't."

"Why?"

"Because he's been a coward for so many years…and I imagine it's hard to break the habits of a four thousand year lifetime."

"How long are we gonna wait?"

"Until I get the details of our journey sorted. Maybe a week or so. If he leaves…we'll hear about it before then ..."

"He'll come…"

Raine snorted.

"I think he will," Genis stated "I trust him to come. I trust him not to hurt you like that. And if he doesn't, he's an idiot who deserves to be miserable."

Raine smiled softly at her brother's words. When the boy got riled about something, it didn't matter who he was talking about, they were going to bear the brunt of his ire.

"He's betrayed us…me…before…"

"But you learnt to trust him again, didn't you? You made the choice that you wanted to be with him."

"I did."

"So can you trust him just because you love him…or at least give him the benefit of the doubt?"

"I suppose I should," she sighed "but I have to admit…even if it was a childish idea, I was hoping for something more of an enthusiastic reaction from him. I should give him some leeway…this can't be easy for him…but…"

"It shouldn't be this hard either if he really wants to be with you?"

"Exactly."

"But…hasn't he come a long way just by falling for you…I mean after Anna, and with the whole thing with Mithos…"

She shook her head

"I don't know."

"He's an idiot if he leaves. I'll never forgive him if he does and neither will Lloyd."

Raine smiled again at her brother before looking out of the window. Evening was drawing in, colour and light fading from the sky and she lost hope each time she saw the sky grow a little darker, the colours a bit dimmer and weaker.

And then, in the fading light a flash of electric blue and silver. Her heart stopped. She sat up straight. Waiting. Hoping. Hating herself for being so obsessed with the wonderful man. Hating him for being so awkward. But hoping. Always hoping.

There was a knock on the heavy oak door, quick and light.

Genis glanced at her before striding to the door. He stared up at the figure in the doorway, the blue wings about the figure plunging him into shadow.

Genis backed out of the doorway and into the house, allowing Kratos access. The man nodded his thanks and then turned his attention to the other half elf. Striding over to her he folded his wings away, bent down before her and kissed her softly.

"I've made my decision."

"And?"

"Derris-Kharlan be damned. It's you that I want to be with."

A wide smile broke over her face instantly at the words and she sat up, allowing him to pull her to her feet and he lead her to the door.

Outside the sky was black velvet, the silver moon and stars set delicately upon it, lighting it, improving its darkness.

"Would you like to see the world, _my _world, from an angel's-eye view?"

"I would."

He smiled gently, slipping his arms beneath her and lifting her gently from the ground, releasing his wings from his back again, bathing them in blue light. Raine gripped at his shirt nervously as he began to rise from the ground and she gasped.

Frowning, he lowered himself.

"Raine…do you trust me?"

She stared at him for a moment, questioning her own feelings. Painstakingly slowly, she released the grip on him.

"I trust you."

They took to the skies, taking in the world that they were about to re-write, one where the couple that soared through the sky together would be accepted.

--

_The story of our lives is the story of the people in them. Ours is a tale of Trust and Betrayal. And learning to trust again.

* * *

_

I really, really, really hope that that lived up to people's expectations. I've struggled with this chapter for so long, trying to get it right, but now it's done and I really hope I've done the game and the pairing justice.

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. Those reviews and wonderful comments that you've given me are what kept me going through the hardest times of this fic. Labour of love, it has been, but love nevertheless and I've enjoyed writing it. I hope you've all enjoyed reading it, right up until the very last word.For once, I'm not going to ask for reviews because...a friend of mine, who is a wonderfully talented writer, never recieves that many and he deserves so much more...and he's taught me to value the ones that I get. It's made me feel rather humbled to get the amount of reviews I have, rather than I deserve them. My writing is not the best, nor the most original and I find it astounding that people have stuck with this marathon fic to the very end, so once again, thank you very much for your support.

For the moment, I'm taking a break from writing anything Kraine related. I'm about to move back to uni and have other works I plan on writing (eventually) and I think I need to find some fresh material and inspiration for more Kraine fics. I'm sure, however, that there will be some along at some point, even if they're only one-shots born out of frustration or bursts of affection for certain people in my life. Anyway, all in all....I hope that, should there be more works in the future, that you'll read them and that you'll enjoy them.

Thank you all once again, for the final time.

Your Author,

Link-luvr (_a.k.a _Ali)


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